UCLA Information Security Office is aware of UCLA students being targeted by fake job/internship scams. Be mindful of phishing emails that may be disguised as a job opportunity.
The sender email address is spoofed to make it appear as if it came from: UCLA Human Resources <chr@chr.ucla.edu>
Reply-to address when responding to the message will be different, for example: bettyc48@bigpond[.]com or warwind@realquickemail[.]com
Subject: Position Approval
Dear <User>,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been officially approved for the Research Assistant position within the Department of Psychology’s Research and Development Unit. After a careful review of your qualifications and resume, it is clear that your background and strengths align well with the expectations of this role.
This position is designed to provide temporary support for the supervisor and other key administrative tasks during periods of absence or leave. It offers a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in both research operations and collaborative academic environments.
Your initial appointment will span 15 weeks, with the possibility of extension based on your performance and the availability of departmental funding. You will be working alongside a team of students currently serving in similar roles, who will help guide and support you to ensure responsibilities are carried out efficiently and to a high standard.
Please note that this opportunity is open to students from any department, as the department strongly values interdisciplinary collaboration in research and development.
You may begin your assigned responsibilities as soon as the necessary office materials and tools are made available. Your official offer letter is currently being processed and will be sent to you in the coming days. We appreciate your patience during this step.
Compensation for this position is $350 per week, and you will be contacted directly by the payroll team each week regarding your compensation for completed assignments. This position is verified and valid, you have been approved.
If you have any questions about your onboarding process, or academic expectations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Professor Peter Bentler. The department looks forward to your contributions and are confident you will make a meaningful impact as part of the research team.
Warm regards,
UCLA Human Resource
10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90095
University of California, Los Angeles
chr@chr.ucla.edu
Stay safe!
When in doubt, look for these signs, and use your best judgement. Verify the offer by contacting the company directly. Look them up online. Don’t use the number or email address from the email. Look for a contact in department website, call them and ask if this is a legitimate job offer.
If you are interested in finding a student job at UCLA, consider searching for positions on UCLA Career Center powered by Handshake (link is external), or contacting a potential supervisor directly using their official UCLA email address and not from unsolicited sources.
What to Do if You Paid a Scammer
No matter how you paid — debit or credit card, bank or wire transfer, gift card, or cash reload card — immediately contact the company you used to send the money, report the fraud, and ask to have the transaction reversed, if possible. For specific advice and tips on how to reverse different types of payments, read What to Do If You Were Scammed (link is external).
Report Job Scams
If you lost money to a job scam, report it to UCLA Police Department (link is external) and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (link is external)
