Online Job Scams: 10 Red Flags and How to Tell If a Job Is Real

Quick answer: an online job is almost certainly a scam if they ask you to pay (for training, equipment, a “deposit” or to “unlock” your earnings), send you a check to deposit and send part of it back, contact you out of the blue by text or WhatsApp, or promise a lot of money for very little work. A real employer pays you. You never pay them.

Why job scams are everywhere right now

Scammers post fake jobs in the same places real employers do: job sites, social media and ads. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported losses to job scams more than tripled from 2020 to 2023, and in just the first half of 2024 they topped $220 million. The FTC also notes that most fraud is never reported, so the real number is higher.

The fastest-growing type is the “task scam”: about 20,000 people reported one in the first half of 2024, compared with about 5,000 in all of 2023.

10 red flags of a fake online job

1. You have to pay to start. Training, a “starter kit,” certification, equipment, a background check fee or a list of jobs. Honest employers never charge you to get a job.
2. They send you a check and ask you to send part of it back (or buy gift cards, or pay a “supplier”). This is a fake check scam: the check bounces days later and your bank will ask you to repay the full amount.
3. They contacted you first by text, WhatsApp or Telegram, with a vague offer and no company details.
4. The pay is too good to be true: hundreds of dollars a day for “simple tasks,” no experience needed.
5. You have to deposit money to get paid, or to “unlock,” “charge up” or “complete” your earnings.
6. They want payment in crypto, gift cards or wire transfers. Scammers prefer methods that are hard to reverse.
7. The “interview” is only a chat, with no video call and no real person you can verify.
8. They ask for your SSN or bank login before any real job offer, sometimes “for payroll.”
9. The job is to receive packages at home and reship them, or to move money through your bank account.
10. The company is hard to verify: no real website, a free email address (like Gmail), or a name that’s slightly different from a well-known company.

One red flag is enough to stop and check. Two or more: walk away.

The most common online job scams

How to check if an online job is real

Before you accept an offer or share personal information:

1. Search the company online with words like “scam,” “review” or “complaint.” No complaints doesn’t guarantee it’s honest, but complaints are a warning.
2. Go to the company’s official website yourself (don’t use the link in the message) and look for the job in its careers section.
3. Check the email address. A real recruiter from a large company usually writes from the company’s domain, not from Gmail or Outlook.
4. Ask for a video interview and a written job offer with the company’s details.
5. Never pay anything and never deposit a check from someone you just met.
6. Talk to someone you trust before you say yes. It also gives you time to think, which scammers try to take away.

Safer places to look for work: USAJobs.gov for federal jobs, CareerOneStop (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor) and your state’s job website. For legit ways to earn extra money, see our guide to side hustles that are actually legit.

What to do if you already paid or shared your information

Act fast, because every hour matters:

1. Stop paying. Scammers often ask for “one last fee” to release your money. It never ends.
2. Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service or gift card company), report the fraud and ask to reverse the payment.
3. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general.
4. If you gave your SSN, ITIN or bank details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and consider a free credit freeze.
5. Watch your credit reports for accounts or hard inquiries you don’t recognize, and dispute any errors.
6. If you deposited a fake check, talk to your bank right away. You may be responsible for the money even if the bank first made it available.

Watch out for “recovery” scams: after you lose money, someone may contact you promising to get it back for a fee. That’s often the same scammers or new ones.

FAQ

Are all work-from-home jobs scams? No. Many companies hire remote workers. The difference is that a real employer interviews you, gives you a written offer and pays you. It never asks you to pay.

Is it legal to be paid to “like” or rate products? No. The FTC warns that paying people to rate or “like” things online is illegal under its rule on fake reviews, so any job offering to pay you for that is a scam.

A company sent me a check to buy equipment. Is that normal? No. That’s one of the most common fake check scams. Don’t deposit it, and don’t send any money.

Can I get my money back? Sometimes, especially if you act quickly and paid with a credit card. Payments in crypto, gift cards or wire transfers are much harder to recover, which is why scammers ask for them.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice. If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Read our Disclaimer.