Recognizing Phishing Scams
How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Email Scams
Bakersfield College students and staff are regularly targeted by phishing emails. These messages are built to look official and usually show up as fake job offers, phony financial aid or account alerts, or urgent requests to verify or reset an account. Some are just spam. Others are real attempts to steal your passwords or money. If an email pressures you to act fast or asks for private information, slow down and check it against the tips below. When something looks suspicious, report it to report-spam@kccd.edu and delete it.
Fake Financial Aid or Account Alerts
Scam emails often warn that your financial aid, direct deposit, or student account is delayed, on hold, or at risk. They may copy the look of a real campus or bank message to seem legitimate. Watch for these:
- Fake Email: The message looks like an official BC, financial aid, or bank notice and claims your money is delayed or your account needs attention.
- Fake Form: A link leads to a form asking for your password or personal information. Bakersfield College and its banking partners will NEVER ask for this.
- Stop & Report: Do not click links or enter information. Take a screenshot and send it to report-spam@kccd.edu.
Common Phishing Red Flags
- Missing sender name
- No callback number or business address
- Spelling errors
- Urgent language
Employment and Internship Opportunities
- Legitimate job opportunities are posted and shared through BC’s official Jobspeaker platform. For details on Jobspeaker, see Student Employment.
- Approved flyers are only available in the Student Employment Lab or shared at a pop up tent hosted by Student Employment, we will never allow a third party to distribute job flyers.
Look Out for Scams!
- If the job requires no previous experience, is high paying, and only requires you a few hours a week to work from home, this is a scam.
- If email with the posting or inquiry does not come from a legitimate/business named email address, this is a scam.
- Verify the posting is found on a credible job posting site, do not follow the link in the email.
- DO NOT provide bank account information. A legitimate employer won’t ask for banking details until you have completed all onboarding paperwork and are setting up a direct deposit.
- DO NOT purchase gift cards or send money. A legitimate employer is not going to require you to pay to work for them or send you money to purchase gift cards.
- ALWAYS research the company before applying. Use reputable, well-known job boards and verify the employer through their official website.
- Trust your instinct! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you come across any opportunities lacking the BC logo or seem suspicious, please notify Student Employment as soon as possible, studentemployment@bakersfieldcollege.edu.
System Updates and Account Verifications
- Bakersfield college will not send emails with links to have anyone reset accounts or passwords. This includes QR Codes or asking to “copy and paste” a link into a new browser window.
- If you receive a notice for the first time about something very urgent (next 24 hours), it’s unlikely it’s coming from Bakersfield College.
- Take note of the language used. Spam messages will likely use other campus names or
titles and offices that are not from Bakersfield College.
Signs of Phishing and Spam
- Someone who normally does not reach out to you is asking for help or personal information.
- A request for password information or a link to reset your password.
- Anything requesting purchasing of a gift card or asking for financial help or information.
- Emails that were not requested that are offering services or jobs.
Remember to ALWAYS research a company before applying and trust your instinct!
Stay vigilant and safe, and reach out to the appropriate BC department or service if you have questions about what was sent in an email or text.
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