Job Offer Scams
7 minute read
How to identify fake job postings and work-from-home scams designed to steal your money or identity.
Job scams prey on people looking for work, turning hope into heartbreak. Whether you’re seeking extra income, career change, or returning to the workforce, scammers are waiting to take advantage. These scams can cost you money, steal your identity, or even make you an unwitting accomplice to crime.
This guide will help you recognize fake job offers and protect yourself during your job search.
How Job Scams Work
Job scammers use several approaches, but they all end the same way: you lose money, your identity is stolen, or both.
Type 1: The Fake Check Scam
This is one of the most common job scams:
Step 1: You find an attractive job posting—often remote, flexible, great pay
Step 2: You’re “hired” quickly after minimal or no real interview
Step 3: They send you a check for “equipment,” “supplies,” or “startup costs”
Step 4: They ask you to deposit the check and send part of the money somewhere else (often to buy gift cards for “clients” or pay a “vendor”)
Step 5: The check bounces days later—but you’ve already sent your own real money
Important: Banks make funds “available” before the check fully clears. When the fake check bounces (sometimes weeks later), you owe the bank all the money.
Type 2: Information Harvesting
Step 1: A fake job posting collects applications
Step 2: The “application” asks for sensitive information: Social Security number, bank account details for “direct deposit,” copies of your ID
Step 3: This information is used for identity theft
Step 4: There is no real job—there never was
Type 3: Reshipping/Money Mule Scams
Step 1: You’re “hired” to receive packages at your home and forward them elsewhere, or receive money and transfer it
Step 2: The packages contain goods bought with stolen credit cards, or the money comes from scam victims
Step 3: You’re now participating in money laundering
Step 4: When police investigate, the trail leads to you—you could face criminal charges
What Scam Job Postings Look Like
The Too-Good-To-Be-True Listing
“Work from home, $50/hour! No experience needed! Start immediately!”
“Make $5,000/week as a mystery shopper!”
“Personal assistant needed—flexible hours, $800/week, minimal duties!”
“Hiring immediately—earn $3,000/week processing payments!”
These postings promise unrealistic pay for easy work. If the salary seems too high for the job described, it’s probably a scam.
The Fake Interview Process
Legitimate employers want to evaluate you carefully. Scammers want to “hire” you quickly:
🚩 Hired after a text chat — No video call, no phone interview, no real assessment
🚩 Interview only via messaging app — WhatsApp, Telegram, or text instead of professional platforms
🚩 No verification of your background — They don’t check references or skills
🚩 Very quick from application to “offer” — Same day or next day “job offer”
🚩 They contacted you first — You didn’t apply but received an offer
Red Flags That Signal a Scam
Watch for these warning signs:
About the Job
🚩 Pay seems too good for the work described
🚩 Vague job description — They can’t clearly explain what you’ll actually do
🚩 Job involves receiving and forwarding packages or money — This is money laundering
🚩 Work-from-home with no clear company — No real business behind it
About the Process
🚩 Hired very quickly with little evaluation of your qualifications
🚩 Interview only via text or messaging apps — No video or phone call
🚩 Asked to pay upfront — For training, equipment, background checks, or certifications
🚩 Sent a check before you’ve started working — Always a scam
About the Company
🚩 Company website is new, vague, or doesn’t exist
🚩 Contact only through personal email (Gmail, Yahoo) instead of company domain
🚩 Can’t find the company on LinkedIn or can’t verify employees exist
🚩 Company name is similar to a real company but slightly different
Common Fake Job Types
These job categories are frequently used by scammers. They can be real jobs, but the scam versions have unrealistic pay and suspicious processes:
“Mystery Shopper”
- Scam version: “Evaluate stores and keep merchandise! Make $500/day!”
- Reality: You’re sent fake checks, asked to wire money or buy gift cards
- Real mystery shopping: Pays modestly, never involves handling checks
“Personal Assistant”
- Scam version: “Work from home, $800/week, just run errands and manage schedule!”
- Reality: Asked to cash checks, buy gift cards, forward packages
- Real assistant jobs: Legitimate employers have real companies and proper hiring processes
“Package Handler” or “Reshipping Coordinator”
- Scam version: “Receive packages at home, forward them, earn $2000/week!”
- Reality: You’re receiving stolen goods or laundering money
- This is almost always a scam — and potentially a crime for you
“Payment Processor”
- Scam version: “Process payments from our customers—work from home!”
- Reality: You’re laundering money stolen from scam victims
- This is always a scam — and definitely a crime
“Data Entry”
- Scam version: “Easy work, few hours a day, $1000/week!”
- Reality: Often leads to fake check scams or information harvesting
- Real data entry: Pays modestly and requires an actual interview
How to Protect Yourself
Research the Company Thoroughly
- Search for the company website — Does it exist? Is it professional? How old is it?
- Look for employees on LinkedIn — Can you find real people who work there?
- Search “[company name] scam” or “[company name] reviews”
- Check the Better Business Bureau at BBB.org
- Verify contact information — Call the company number listed on their official website (not the number in the job posting)
Never Pay for a Job
- Don't pay for training materials
- Don't pay for equipment
- Don't pay for "background checks"—employers pay for those
- Don't pay for "certifications" through the employer
If they want money from you before you’ve started working, walk away.
Never Accept Checks to Forward Money
This is always a scam. No exceptions. No legitimate job involves:
- Receiving a check and sending part of it somewhere
- Buying gift cards for clients or the company
- Wiring money to another party
The check will bounce, and you’ll owe your bank the full amount.
Be Wary of Reshipping
Receiving and forwarding packages sounds easy, but:
- The packages likely contain goods bought with stolen credit cards
- You become part of a criminal operation
- When police investigate, they find YOU
- You can face criminal charges
Verify Before Sharing Personal Information
- Don’t give your SSN until you have a legitimate, verified job offer from a company you’ve researched
- Don’t share bank info “for direct deposit” before you’ve actually started working
- Don’t send copies of your ID before verifying the job is real
- Real companies verify employment before collecting sensitive data
If You’ve Been Scammed
If You Deposited a Check
- Contact your bank immediately — Explain it was a scam
- The check will bounce — You may owe the money you already spent
- You might be able to minimize damage if you act fast enough
If You Gave Personal Information
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus:
- Place a fraud alert with one bureau (they’ll notify the others)
- Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity
- Consider identity theft protection services
If You Received/Forwarded Packages
- Stop immediately — Don’t forward anything else
- Save all documentation — Emails, texts, shipping labels
- Consider consulting a lawyer — You may have unknowingly committed crimes
- Report to police and explain you were scammed
Report the Scam
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- FBI IC3: ic3.gov
- Your state attorney general
- The job site where you found the posting (Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.)
For complete recovery steps: I Think I Was Scammed →
Finding Legitimate Remote Work
Remote work is real—but so are scammers. To find legitimate opportunities:
- Apply through established job boards — Indeed, LinkedIn, company websites
- Research every company before applying
- Be skeptical of jobs that find you — Especially through social media or text
- Look for standard interview processes — Video calls, multiple rounds, reference checks
- Trust your instincts — If something feels off, it probably is
Quick Summary
✓ If the pay seems too good for the job, it’s probably a scam
✓ Legitimate employers don’t ask you to pay for anything
✓ Never deposit checks and send money elsewhere
✓ Never accept jobs receiving and forwarding packages
✓ Research every company before sharing personal information
✓ Real interviews involve phone or video calls, not just text
✓ If you’re “hired” immediately with no real interview, be very suspicious