Fake Job Offers & Employment Scams

Job scammers target people who need work: new workers, people between jobs, and anyone looking for remote or high-paying gigs. They post fake ads, send texts out of the blue, and even copy real company names. The goal is your money, your identity, or your help moving stolen money.

• Job seekers
• Workers
• Young workers

Common job scams

• Pay to work: you’re asked to pay for training, equipment, certification, a background check or a uniform before you start.
• Fake check: they send a check to buy supplies, ask you to send part of the money back or to a “vendor,” and then the check bounces, leaving you owing the bank.
• Reshipping and “payment processing”: you receive packages or money and forward them. You’re actually moving stolen goods or laundering money, which can get you in legal trouble.
• Task scams: you’re paid small amounts to “like” products or rate apps, then told to deposit your own money (often crypto) to unlock bigger earnings.
• Identity theft: a fake “offer” asks for your Social Security number, driver’s license and bank account for “payroll” before you’ve really been hired.
• Fake training and certification: phony OSHA cards, CDL courses or licenses. See Fake OSHA Cards.

Red flags

• You’re offered a job you didn’t apply for, or hired without a real interview
• The interview happens only by text or chat app
• Pay is far higher than normal for the work
• You’re asked to pay anything upfront
• They send a check and ask you to send money somewhere
• The email comes from a free email account, not the company’s domain
• They pressure you to decide fast

Check before you accept

• Look up the company yourself and contact it through its official website or main phone number. Ask if the job and the recruiter are real.
• Search the company name with words like “scam” or “complaint.”
• Use reputable job sites, union halls, state job centers and apprenticeship programs. See Apprenticeships.
• Give your SSN and bank information only after you have a confirmed offer, usually on official hiring forms like the W-4 and I-9.
• Never deposit a check and send money back.

If you’ve been scammed

Stop contact, tell your bank right away, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov, and if you shared your SSN, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov. See Reporting Scams and Identity Theft.

Last updated: October 1, 2026