BBB Warns of Shady job offer targets area college students

Burnsville, Minnesota – April 5, 2016 –Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota ® (BBB) has received the first local report about an employment scam targeting college students nationwide. This scheme first came to the attention of BBB of Cleveland last fall, when they began receiving reports from concerned college students about possible employment opportunities from questionable entities such as Geneve Leasing Company, Worldwide Shipping Solutions and HYDROCK Inc LLC, which is the entity a University of Minnesota student recently reported has been in touch with them about a suspect job offer. 

The U of M student recognized the posting from HYDROCK Inc LLC as problematic and some online research led him to a press release issued by BBB of Cleveland last November. A representative from that Better Business Bureau reports that in addition to the report from our region, they’ve received calls about this same scam from Ohio State University, Arkansas Tech and Arkansas State just in the last few weeks. BBB notes there is a legitimate company called Hydrock; however, they are located in England and are not associated with these questionable job offers.

“Many college students are looking for work to bring in money while they earn their degrees and others are looking for their first post-graduate job,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. “Fraudsters, unfortunately, know there’s opportunity for them, as well, which is why it’s vitally important for students to thoroughly research any employment offers they receive.”

Based on information submitted to BBB, a number of University of Minnesota students received emails from HYDROCK Inc. LLC claiming ‘the position will only require 4-6 hours weekly between Mon- Fri.’ The email further states that the position offers flexibility that allows applicants to choose their hours during the day to avoid conflicts between classes or other employment. However, as with most suspect job offers, scant details are offered as to what the position actually entails.

Bogus job offers have been victimizing job seekers for as long as there’s been a job market. Hopeful applicants typically run across these companies while searching for employment online or through unsolicited job offers after posting their resumes on job sites. While some of the scammers concoct business names, others mimic legitimate companies based here in the US or abroad. Addresses typically provided by the bogus companies either do not exist or are valid addresses at which the scammer is not actually located.

People should always be leery of situations where they receive a check upfront, as this is not how legitimate job offers take shape. In particular, avoid situations where you’re asked to deposit a check and send funds back to the ‘employer’ or unknown third-parties. You should not have to pay for an employment opportunity. Job seekers should also watch out for offers to take part in reshipping schemes. Many times, individuals accept these positions not knowing they’re participating in illegal schemes to reship merchandise paid for with stolen credit cards out of the country.  

In some cases, fake employment ads or phony job offers are nothing more than attempts to gather the personal information of job seekers for the purpose of identity theft. You should never provide your Social Security number - or sensitive personal information - to any company until you’ve interviewed with them in person, vetted both the business and the offer thoroughly, and formally accepted the position.
“There are definitely red flags people should be looking for – such as being offered a position without so much as a job interview,” added Badgerow.

Other warning signs of potential employment scams include:

·         The position involves transferring money or reshipping goods

·         The company is or claims to be located in another country

·         The position does not list education or experience requirements

·         The offer promises significant earning potential for little effort

·         Emails contain grammatical and typographical errors

·         Company claims to be in business for many years but their website was only recently created

Job seekers are encouraged to contact BBB in regard to suspect job offers or to research businesses where they’re seeking employment by visiting www.bbb.org or calling 800-646-6222.

UMC Commencement on Saturday, May 9, 2015

CROOKSTON, Minn. – Entrepreneur David G. Ekman will address the University of Minnesota Crookston Class of 2015 during commencement exercises on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Graduates will take part in the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. All are welcome to attend.

Ekman, a 1981 graduate of the U of M Crookston, grew up in Argyle, Minn., and has more than 30 years of business experience. During his time at the U of M Crookston, he played college basketball, served as student senate president, and earned his associates degree in agricultural business management. While attending North Dakota State University and majoring in agricultural economics, Ekman started in the computer business by purchasing a ComputerLand franchise at the age of 20. This began a series of business ventures including a technology company, an internet service provider, a travel agency, hotel development and investment, a self-storage business, and various real estate projects.

He recently retired as the CIO of Multiband Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed field services company with more than 3,000 employees which he helped start.  He serves on various boards and committees, including the Campus Advisory and Advancement Board for the Crookston campus, and stays active in his many business dealings. Ekman and his wife, Paula, reside in Fargo, N.D., with their three teenage children.

A reception in the Northern Lights Lounge, Sargeant Student Center, precedes the commencement ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend both events; no tickets are required. Additionally, a special reception for online graduates will be held at 10 a.m. in the Prairie Room, Sargent Student Center, and a reception for international student graduates will be held following commencement exercises at 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.

On Saturday at 2 p.m., the formal procession of faculty, candidates for degrees, and platform guests will begin from the Sargeant Student Center to the gymnasium led by Mace Bearer William Peterson, professor in the Math, Science, and Technology Department. The procession also includes Faculty Marshal W. Daniel Svedarsky, professor and director of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus.

Bringing greetings from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents is the Honorable Peggy Lucas, from Minneapolis, Minn., who will also assist with the conferring of the degrees. 

University of Minnesota, Crookston Alumni Association (UMCAA) Board President Lauralee (Nicholas) Tupa '05 will bring greetings from the UMCAA and welcome the new graduates to the alumni association. The U of M Crookston Community Band under the direction of TJ Chapman, lecturer in the Math, Science, and Technology Department, will perform along with selections during the ceremony by the campus choir under the direction of Associate Professor George French.

Graduating senior Justin Goodroad, a horticulture major from Lindstrom, Minn., Crookston Student Association (CSA) president, will speak on behalf of the Class of 2015 and pass the torch of education, a Crookston campus tradition, to the incoming CSA president Tareyn Stomberg, a junior double majoring in animal science and agricultural business from Menahga, Minn.

The 2015 commencement exercises mark the 107th graduating class to be recognized on the Crookston campus. A live audio stream of the commencement exercises will be available at www.umcrookston.edu/people/services/mediaservices. 

For more information, visit the commencement website at www.umcrookston.edu/commencement.

UMC Commencement on Saturday, May 10th

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Class of 2014 will be honored during commencement exercises at the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, May 10. Nearly 250 students will take part in the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. Graduates will represent 13 countries and 29 states and include more than 35 online graduates who are setting foot on the campus for the very first time. The ceremony also recognizes the 20-year anniversary of the Class of 1994, who were the first to earn baccalaureate degrees on the Crookston campus.

A reception in the Northern Lights Lounge, Sargeant Student Center, precedes the commencement ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend both events; no tickets are required. A special reception for international student graduates will be held following commencement exercises at 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.

On Saturday at 2 p.m., the formal procession of faculty, candidates for degrees, and platform guests will begin from the Sargeant Student Center to the gymnasium led by Mace Bearer William Peterson, professor in the Math, Science, and Technology Department. The procession also includes Faculty Marshal W. Daniel Svedarsky, professor and director of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus.

Bringing greetings from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents is the Honorable Clyde Allen, from Moorhead, Minn., who will also assist with the conferring of the degrees. 

U of M Crookston alumnus Tyler Grove ’94 will give the commencement address. Grovewas one of the first to earn a four-year degree from the University of Minnesota Crookston. His major was in plant industries management with an agronomy emphasis. While at the U of M Crookston, he participated in the Crops Team and in NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) competition. In 2007 he earned his master's degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. In 1995, he was employed with American Crystal Sugar Company as an agriculturist for the East Grand Forks district, and in February, 2013, he accepted a position as the ag strategy development manager at the corporate office in Moorhead, Minn. He was named Outstanding Alumni during Homecoming 2013.

University of Minnesota, Crookston Alumni Association (UMCAA) Board President Rory Held ‘11 will bring greetings from the UMCAA and welcome the new graduates to the alumni association. For the first time, the U of M Crookston Community Band under the direction of TJ Chapman will play along with selections during the ceremony by the campus choir under the direction of George French.

Graduating senior Alexmai Addo, Crookston Student Association (CSA) president, will speak on behalf of the Class of 2014 and pass the torch of education, a Crookston campus tradition, to Justin Goodroad the incoming CSA president. Addo, from Monrovia, Liberia, is a communication major.

The 2014 commencement exercises mark the 106th graduating class to be recognized on the Crookston campus. A live audio stream of the commencement exercises will be available at www.umcrookston.edu/people/services/MediaServ/Stream.htm.  

For more information, visit the commencement Web site at www.umcrookston.edu/commencement.

UMC Named Among Top Schools in Minnesota for Safety by Website StateUniversity.com

CROOKSTON, Minn. –  The University of Minnesota Crookston was recently informed that the website StateUniversity.com has ranked University of Minnesota-Crookston number 4 in Minnesota for campus safety. The scores of the top four schools ranked in the category were identical in a listing that includes 50 colleges and universities in the state.

Colleges and universities ranked for campus safety on a scale that accounts for severity of a crime as well as frequency of crime. Data is compiled from reports submitted by college and university law enforcement between January 1 and December 31, 2012.

The website StateUnivesity.com provides information about state universities and colleges across the United States including financial aid, academics, athletics and more gathered from a variety of sources.

To view the rankings for the top ranked universities in Minnesota on safety, visit www.stateuniversity.com/rank_by_state/safety_score_rank/MN.html.