Spot job scams
The short answer
Be wary of any job that finds you out of nowhere, interviews you only by chat, offers you a role without a real interview, or asks you for money. Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job. Check every offer on the company's own careers site and by calling a number you looked up yourself. Don't share your Social Security or National Insurance number or bank details until you've verified a written offer. Report scams to the FTC in the US or to Report Fraud in the UK.
On this page
Scammers aim at exactly the people this guide is for: people who've been searching for a while, who'd like remote work, and who are tired. Falling for one says nothing about your intelligence. These schemes are built to be convincing.
How common it is
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission reported in December 2024 that reported losses to job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023, and passed $220 million in the first six months of 2024 alone. It estimated that "task scams", where you're paid small amounts to rate or "like" things online before being asked to pay in, made up nearly 40% of 2024 job scam reports[1]. Those are only the losses people reported.
Warning signs
Any one of these is a reason to slow down and check:
- A "recruiter" contacts you by text or WhatsApp about a job you never applied for. The FTC advises ignoring generic, unexpected texts and WhatsApp messages about jobs[1].
- The whole interview happens by chat or messaging app, with no video or phone call with a named person.
- You get an offer without a real interview, or the pay is far above the going rate for easy work.
- You're asked to pay for anything: training, equipment, a starter kit, a background check or a "deposit". The FTC's advice is short: "Never pay anyone to get paid"[1]. It also says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job[2].
- You're sent a cheque and asked to deposit it and send part of the money back, or buy gift cards with it. The FTC's advice is never to bank on a "cleared" cheque[2].
- The job is receiving and reshipping parcels. The FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job[2].
- The "company" emails you from a personal address, such as a Gmail account, or its website was set up very recently.
Check every offer yourself
Before you reply with any personal details:
- Find the role on the company's own careers page, by typing the company's web address yourself. Don't click the link in the message.
- Call the company on a number you looked up yourself, and ask whether the recruiter works there and the role exists.
- Look the recruiter up on LinkedIn and check that their profile and the company page match what they told you.
If you can't confirm it, don't go further. A real recruiter won't mind you checking.
Keep your details safe
Don't share your Social Security number, National Insurance number, bank details or a copy of your ID until you have a written offer you've checked, and you're filling in the employer's official onboarding forms.
Where to report a scam
In the US, report job scams to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov[2]. In the UK, Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud in December 2025 as the national service for reporting fraud; you can report online at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101[3].
If you've already paid or shared your bank details, contact your bank straight away as well. Then tell someone you trust. Being scammed is upsetting, and it's not a reason to stop your search. The page on keeping your confidence in a long search has support if it's shaken you.
Questions to ask yourself
Take five minutes with a notebook. There are no right answers here, only useful ones.
- If an offer arrived tomorrow that seemed too good, who would you check it with before replying?
- Which personal details have you shared in your search so far, and with whom?
- How might a long search make an unexpected offer feel more tempting than it would otherwise?