Sonoma State University

Phishing/Fraudulent Job Offers

Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 2:03pm

TO: Campus Community
FR: Dr. Gerald L. Jones, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

The San Francisco Bay Region Network (SFBRN) recently sent guidance to our campus about cybersecurity awareness, specifically emphasizing caution when receiving electronic offers of job or internship employment.

I wish to reinforce SFBRN’s message to students, faculty, and staff by reiterating core takeaways from that guidance. Although the university cannot prevent scammers from communicating with you, we can continue to make you aware of their activities – and remind everyone that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Cybercriminals take advantage of eager job- and internship-seekers by creating fake job postings and sending offers that appear to come from legitimate employers, university departments, or individuals offering employment opportunities. The goal is to trick you into providing personal information, sending money, or making purchases under the impression that you are starting a legitimate job.

Remember: Legitimate employment-related correspondence from Sonoma State University will come through official university channels, including an @sonoma.edu email address or authorized hiring systems. Be especially cautious of anyone claiming to represent Sonoma State or SFBRN while communicating through a personal email account (such as Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook). Sonoma State University will never ask you to send payment in connection with a job offer or submit sensitive personal information through an unverified email exchange. Do not click links or open attachments in unsolicited job-related emails.

Warning signs of a fraudulent job offer:

  • Promising high pay, flexible hours, or remote work with little experience required.

  • An offer of employment without a formal interview or a legitimate hiring process.

  • Someone asking you to move the conversation to a different email address, phone number, or messaging app.

  • A request to provide personal information, such as your address, Social Security number, or banking information, before you've verified the employer and the position.

  • A job requiring you to purchase gift cards, electronics, or other items on behalf of your employer, even if they promise to reimburse you.

  • An employer offering to send you a check or advance payment to purchase equipment, supplies, or other items.

  • Someone claiming they are unavailable to meet or interview but insisting you can begin working immediately.

  • An employer pressuring you to respond quickly or accept an offer before you've had an opportunity to verify its legitimacy.

Before accepting a job offer, verify that the opportunity is legitimate. Look for the position through an official university or employer website and contact the organization directly using contact information you find independently. Be cautious of unexpected employment offers, even when they appear to come from a familiar organization.

If you receive an email that you suspect may be a fraudulent job offer, please report it to the San Francisco Bay Region Network Information Security Office by submitting a Security Reporting ticket or forwarding the email to support@sfbrn.calstate.edu. The Information Security Office can help determine whether the message is legitimate and can take appropriate steps to protect other members of the campus community.

If you have been impacted by one of these scams, know that you have the full support of our campus community. Fraudsters use highly convincing methods, and falling victim to them could happen to anyone. If such a situation has caused you financial stress or emotional distress, please take advantage of campus resources available to you:

Looking for verified job opportunities?

  • Students should visit the Career Center on the second floor of the Student Center and review Handshake to see campus and local job opportunities. Make an appointment to speak in person with a career advisor through LoboConnect.

  • Staff/Faculty/Management can find all open job opportunities at jobs.sonoma.edu.