Spotting job scams

Job scams have gotten better over the last few years. The bad ones are obvious. The good ones look like a real recruiter from a real company emailing you about a real role. Here is how to tell the difference.

Red flags on the listing

• The pay is unusually high for the role. $90k for an entry-level data entry job is bait.
• The job description is vague and copy-paste generic. "Looking for motivated self-starters" with no specifics is filler text designed to harvest applicants.
• It asks you to pay for training, equipment, or a background check before you start. Real employers cover those.
• The contact email is not on the company's domain. "anycompanyhr@gmail.com" is not a recruiter at anycompany.com.
• The interview happens entirely over text on WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal. Real companies use Zoom, Teams, or a phone.

Red flags during the interview

• They send you an offer letter within 24 hours of first contact. Real hiring takes longer.
• They send a check to "cover supplies" and ask you to deposit it and wire some back. This is a check fraud scam, not a job.
• They ask for your Social Security number, bank info, or government ID before you have signed anything. Onboarding paperwork comes after an offer is accepted, not during the interview.
• They cannot answer specific questions about the role, team, or company. Ask one detailed question. Their answer tells you everything.

What to do before you give anyone anything

Three checks, takes five minutes.

1. Look up the company's website directly (not from a link they sent). Find the careers page. Does the role exist there?
2. Search the recruiter's name plus "LinkedIn." Do they have a real profile with company tenure that matches?
3. Search "[company name] scam" or "[company name] reviews" on Reddit. People talk fast when something is off.

If any of those three turn up nothing or turn up warnings, walk away.

If you have already been scammed

You are not the only one and you are not stupid. These scams are professionally run. Three actions:

1. Stop responding immediately.
2. If you gave them banking information, call your bank now. Today. Not tomorrow.
3. Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state's attorney general. Reports do help; that is how scammers eventually get shut down.

The one habit that prevents most of this

Never accept a job offer without a real phone or video call with someone on the actual team. Not the recruiter. The team. If they will not put you on a call with the person you would report to, that is the answer.