Many students are off for summer break and find themselves searching for temporary work. Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning high school and university students looking for work this summer to avoid common job scams. Here are 10 tip-offs that the “employment opportunity” could be a scam:

1. Big bucks for simple tasks. Watch out if they promise to pay you a lot of money for jobs that don’t seem to require much effort or skill. If it sounds too good to be true, it might be a scam.

2. Job offers out of nowhere from strangers. If they offer you a job without getting an application from you, meeting you or doing an interview, it’s probably a scam. Don’t hand your personal information, especially your Social Security number or credit card information to such people. This could lead to identity theft.

3. Requests for up-front payments. If someone wants you to make an advance payment to partake in a new business opportunity – especially if it’s a big investment, or you don’t have much information about the deal – this is a red flag. “Advance fee scams” are very common and they come in many varieties.

4. They ask you to wire the money. If you wire a payment to somebody, it’s gone forever. Wire transfers of money are a convenient and perfectly legitimate service. But scam artists often ask you to wire payments that they are requesting (especially to destinations in other countries) because they know you won’t be able to get your money back.

5. High pressure to do it now. Don’t be in a hurry to accept an unsolicited offer of work, or to make a business investment, particularly if the other party is asking you to spend your money on the deal. Take your time and check it out. If somebody tries to convince you that this is a “limited time” offer and you have to act now, just tell them to forget it. High pressure is a common sign that something’s wrong.

6. Refusal to give you full details in writing. Ask for complete information in writing. Look carefully at any documentation they might provide to make sure it answer all your questions. If they won’t give details, or don’t respond to questions, don’t do business with them.

7. References are missing or a bit suspicious. A real business should be able to give you professional references, ask for references and check them yourself. Even if the references seem good, don’t make your decision based on references alone. Do a careful background check; free Business Reviews are available at www.bbb.org.

8. Contact information is missing or doesn’t make sense. Be very cautious if a company is trying to get you to accept a job, but seems to lack any established physical location with a real street address. A cell phone number and website address are not enough contact information. If there is an address, it’s worth taking a moment to check it out on the Internet.

9. They want you to buy expensive items. Be cautious if they expect you to make a major purchase of equipment, software, inventory or information in order to get started in business. It seems like it might be a real business opportunity – but it’s not; the buyer makes the purchase and never receives the things needed to set up the business.

10. It has a bad rating with the BBB. Victims do complain to the BBB about work-at-home scams. It only takes minutes to check a company’s record with us at www.tucson.bbb.org.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers that con-artists are using text messages, emails, door to door sales, websites and word of mouth to mislead individuals into thinking there is a government program authorized by President Obama’s administration that will pay them up to $1,000 to cover their utility bills.

“There is no special bailout or any other kind of program authorized by the President to help with utility bills,” said Kim States, BBB President. “If you receive a call claiming otherwise, it’s definitely a scam.”

Victims are given bank account and routing numbers to use when paying their bills online, after they “register” by providing social security numbers and banking information, account and routing numbers. Deposits briefly appear in victims’ checking accounts only later to learn they drew out of invalid accounts.

States added, “There have been reports of as many as 2,000 people in Tampa, Florida and thousands of others across the country who were tricked by this scam.”

BBB suggests the following tips to help avoid falling for this trap:

• Never provide your social security number, credit card number or banking information to anyone requesting it over the phone or at your home unless you have verified the identity of the party seeking the information.

• If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company or the government and feel pressured for immediate personal information, hang up the phone and call the utility customer service number on your bill.

• Always think safety first. Do not give into high pressure tactics, and don’t let anyone in your home without checking their identity.

• Don’t let the immediate pressure of debt make you too anxious to think through the situation. There are sources of information available to you to give you the straight story, check with the BBB at www.tucson.bbb.org

For more tips you can trust, visit www.tucson.bbb.org and for more information on scams visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/soazbbb

As families gear up for their summer vacation, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona has advice for pet owners looking for a safe place to house their furry friend.

BBB receives hundreds of complaints from consumers every year about boarding facilities, also known as kennels. Complaints allege problems with billing, as well as concerns about the treatment of their pet. Some owners allege their pets came back from the kennel severely dehydrated, malnourished or covered with fleas, ticks and even maggots. A few even allege their pet became extremely ill from their brief stay at certain kennels.

BBB advises pet owners looking to board their pets to plan accordingly and thoroughly research local kennels.

Consumers should use the following tips as a guide to finding a trustworthy kennel:

- Ask for recommendations. Turn to friends and family members who own animals for recommendations on where they take their furry friend. Additionally, check out any recommendations at bbb.org to see their BBB rating and history of complaints.

- Personally visit the facilities. Check for cleanliness and note the overall safety of the kennel and cages. If your pet is prone to running away, ask about steps the kennel takes to make the facility secure.

- Ask about interactions between animals. Some kennels let animals play together while others keep them separate at all times. Make sure the facility requires that all entering pets have proof of immunization. Also ask about its policies regarding flea and tick control.

- Take notice of the staff. Ask about the background and experience of company staff and take a few moments to see how they interact with the other pets that are being boarded.

- Thoroughly read the boarding agreement. Verify it includes the feeding and exercise schedule as well as pick up and drop off hours. Some facilities offer bathing, nail trimming and immunization as additional services. Make sure these and any other additional fees, like medical emergencies or other care, are included in the agreement.

- Have a backup plan. Make sure you have a local friend, family member or veterinarian you can trust in case of emergencies.

To check the reliability of a company and find trustworthy businesses, visit BBB.