Campus security is encouraging students to be alert after a suspicious employment opportunity form circulated campus last month.
Clipboards advertising a “management opportunity” for summer work, listing average earnings of $15,000 to $20000, were spotted in several buildings on campus. The forms ask for personal information, including names, cell phone numbers and city of residence for the summer.
But there was a suspicious catch: the company name was not listed.
Don Allen, the University of New Brunswick’s director of security and traffic, said the clipboards were determined to be linked to a national painting company after identical forms were noticed in Ontario – including at Brock University.
Allen described the organization behind the ad as a multi-level marketing painting company that directs contact information to a call centre. He declined to name the company, which does interior painting.
“It seemed kind of off and it was a bit mysterious to us why they’re taking that approach,” Allen said.
UNB student Alexis Harvey said she saw one of the clipboards come around in one of her courses, and thought it might be potentially linked to human trafficking after reading an article online. Harvey reported the form to campus security.
Allen said campus security received three reports of the forms at UNB Fredericton and one at UNB Saint John. Security issued an alert to students urging them to be aware of anyone asking for personal information.
The document explains that the employment opportunity is with a Canadian company with 35 years’ experience. A highlighted line asks students to leave the clipboard at the back of the class.
“All kinds of things set up some flags and made some alarm bells ring,” Allen said of the description.
Campus security noticed a tweet from Brock University about clipboards circulating on their campus, and reached out to learn more details. Brock security informed UNB about the painting company.
Brock University identified people bringing the clipboards to campus and issued a trespassing notice against them. Nobody at UNB has reported seeing someone dropping off or picking up the clipboards.
UNB security recovered one clipboard with 29 names.
Allen said the company probably wants to give their pitch in-person.
“It seems like a new technique,” he said.
In a message to students on Oct. 4, campus security warned against providing personal information to an unknown person or company. The message further said that prospective employers should go through the Student Employment Office if they are interested in recruiting students.