How to Spot a Fake Job Posting (and Common Job Scams)
Job scams are common, and they target people who are actively looking and eager to get hired. The good news is that most of them follow a few recognizable patterns.
The biggest warning signs
They ask you for money
For training, equipment, a background check, a "starter kit" or visa processing. Real employers pay you, not the other way around.
They send you a check and ask you to send some back
A classic: you get a check to buy equipment from "their vendor". The check bounces days later, after you've already sent real money. Never forward money from a check you received.
The interview happens only by text or chat app
Interviews entirely over text, Telegram or WhatsApp, with no video call and no named interviewer, are a strong sign of a scam.
You're hired instantly
An offer with no real interview, often for a remote "data entry", "virtual assistant" or "package reshipping" job.
Pay that's far above the market for easy work
$40 an hour for basic data entry with no experience required is not real. Compare the offer with typical pay for the job.
They want sensitive information early
Your Social Security number, bank details or a photo of your ID before you've signed an offer, often "for payroll". These are normally collected during onboarding, through a proper HR system.
Odd email addresses and links
A recruiter for a large company writing from a free email address, or a domain that's slightly misspelled.
How to check if a job is real
- Find the job on the company's own website. Go to the careers page yourself, not through a link in the message.
- Look up the recruiter. Do they exist, and do they actually work there?
- Insist on a video or phone interview with a named person at the company.
- Search the company name with "scam" and the job title.
- Never pay anything and never deposit a check from an employer you haven't started working for.
If you think you've been scammed
Stop all contact, don't send more money or information, contact your bank right away if you shared financial details, and report it to the job board where you found the posting. In the US you can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Not sure about a posting? Paste it into ScreenJob for a free check of the pay against real data and the red flags in the wording.