Guide · 7 min read
How to Spot Job Scams: Red Flags, Fake Checks and Where to Report
Learn the warning signs of fake job offers in the US: fake check and equipment scams, pay-to-train schemes, reshipping and task scams, and how to report them to the FTC and IC3.
Updated
Why job scams are so common
Job scams work because they target people at a stressful moment. When you are looking for work, a fast offer for a remote job with good pay feels like relief, and scammers rely on that feeling to make you move quickly. They copy the names and logos of real companies, post on legitimate job boards, and contact people directly by text, email, LinkedIn and messaging apps.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has repeatedly warned that reports of job and employment scams have grown, and that many start with an unexpected message from a 'recruiter'. You do not need to be careless to be targeted. The best protection is knowing the patterns and slowing down before you share personal information or money.
The biggest red flag: you are asked to pay or move money
A real employer pays you. It does not ask you to pay to get the job, and it does not use your bank account to move its money. If any step in the process involves you sending money, buying gift cards or cryptocurrency, or depositing a check and forwarding part of it, stop.
- Paying for training, certification, a 'starter kit' or software before you start
- Paying for a background check, drug test or application fee yourself
- Receiving a check to buy equipment from a vendor the 'employer' names
- Being asked to deposit money and send some of it to someone else
- Paying a fee to 'unlock' tasks, levels or commissions in an app
- Being told to keep the arrangement secret from your bank
How the fake check and equipment scam works
This is one of the most common remote-job scams. You are 'hired' quickly, often after a chat-only interview. The employer mails or emails you a check, or sends a mobile deposit, and tells you to use the money to buy a laptop, printer or software from a specific supplier. Sometimes they ask you to send the 'extra' back.
Banks often make deposited funds available within days, before the check has fully cleared. When the check bounces weeks later, the bank takes the full amount back from your account, and the money you sent to the 'supplier' is gone. The FTC explains that you can be responsible for repaying the bank. A legitimate employer either ships equipment directly or reimburses you through payroll after you start, and it puts those terms in writing.
Other scam patterns to know
Scammers change their scripts often, but the structures repeat. Recognizing the structure matters more than memorizing a list of fake company names.
- Reshipping jobs: you receive packages at home and send them on, often overseas. The goods are usually bought with stolen cards, and you become part of the fraud.
- Payment processing or 'financial assistant' jobs: you receive transfers into your account and forward them. This is a money mule scheme and can carry legal consequences.
- Task scams: you are paid small amounts to like videos, rate products or 'optimize' apps, then asked to deposit your own money to continue or withdraw earnings.
- Fake recruiters: messages that use a real company's name but come from personal email addresses or messaging apps and move fast to an offer.
- Government job and grant scams: requests for a fee to secure a federal job, a 'guaranteed' civil service position or access to listings. Federal jobs are listed free on USAJOBS.
- Mystery shopper scams: you are sent a check to 'evaluate' a money transfer or gift card service, then asked to send money.
- Identity theft offers: a 'job' that needs your Social Security number, bank login or a photo of your ID before any interview.
How to check whether a job offer is real
Take a few minutes to verify before you reply, and especially before you share sensitive information. These checks catch most fake offers.
- Find the job on the company's own careers page, reached by typing the company's web address yourself, not through a link in the message.
- Check that the recruiter's email uses the company's domain, not a free email service or a look-alike domain.
- Look the recruiter up on LinkedIn and confirm they work at the company; call the company's main number if unsure.
- Expect a real interview by phone or video with a person who can answer specific questions about the role.
- Get a written offer that names the employer, pay, start date and who to contact in HR.
- Search the company name with words like 'scam' or 'complaint', and check the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker.
- Share your Social Security number and bank details only after a verified offer, usually on the official onboarding forms (Form I-9 and W-4).
If you think you have been scammed
Act quickly. Stop all contact, do not send more money, and keep the messages, emails, job ad and any payment receipts. Contact your bank or the payment service right away to report fraud and ask whether a transfer can be stopped or reversed. If you shared your Social Security number or ID, visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three credit bureaus.
Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, also file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. You can report the fake posting to the job site where you found it, and to your state attorney general. Reports help authorities spot patterns and warn others, even when your money cannot be recovered.
How AltFTool helps you stay safe
Every listing on AltFTool Job Search shows the original publisher and links to the original posting, so you can verify it at the source. We show a scam checklist on job pages, and our free Job Scam Deposit Checker tool reviews offer text in your browser for payment and urgency warning signs. Treat any tool as a second opinion, not a guarantee: if something feels wrong, it is fine to walk away.
General information only, not legal, financial or immigration advice. Written by the AltFTool team; last updated .