How to Spot a Job Scam Before You Lose Money
One rule gives away almost every job scam: honest employers pay you. Here are the common tricks and what to do if you already paid.
Why job scams work so well
A job scam does not look like a scam at first. The FTC says scammers advertise jobs the same ways honest employers do. They post online, in newspapers, and on TV and radio. The ad sits right next to the real ones.
The FTC says job scammers promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information. The job is the bait. The fee or the form is the trap.
The one rule that gives away almost every job scam
Here is the rule to hold onto. The FTC says if someone asks you to pay to get a job, that is a scam. No honest employer works that way.
The FTC says honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. If money has to move from you to them before you start work, walk away.
The FTC puts it simply: honest companies pay you, not charge you, to work for them.
Common job scam types and how each one works
Fake nanny, caregiver and virtual assistant ads
The FTC says scammers post fake job ads for nannies, caregivers, and virtual assistants on job sites. The FTC says a request to pay to get a job, or to deposit a check and send money back, is a scam sign.
Reshipping goods
The FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job. It is simply being part of a scam.
Mystery shopping
The FTC says while some mystery shopping jobs are honest, many are scams. Honest mystery shopping exists. The FTC says some retailers and restaurants hire people to try their products or services and report on their experiences. Shoppers typically pay for the product themselves and then get reimbursed by the retailer.
The scam version is easy to spot once you know the rule. The FTC says if you have to pay an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper, that is always a scam. Honest mystery shopping companies will not ask you to pay for certifications, directories of jobs, or job guarantees. And you should not pay for a list of mystery shopping jobs, because that information is available for free.
Two more tells. The FTC says only scammers guarantee you'll make a lot of money from mystery shopping. And only scammers say you'll be able to quit your job and do mystery shopping full-time. The FTC says mystery shopping jobs are typically part-time work and don't usually pay enough to replace a full-time job.
The FTC says the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association is a trade association for the customer experience industry. It does not hire or advertise for mystery shoppers itself, but it does have a list of service provider companies with possible mystery shopping jobs.
Fake placement firms
A placement firm says it will match you with a job, for a price. The FTC says honest placement firms do not typically charge a fee to job candidates. The FTC says if a placement firm asks you for a fee you must pay in advance, you are probably dealing with a scam.
Fake government job postings
This one borrows trust that belongs to the government. Someone may charge you for information about federal or postal job openings. The FTC says information about federal government and U.S. Postal Service job openings is free and available to everyone. Anyone charging for it is selling you something you can get for nothing.
The check-deposit job offer
This trick deserves its own section, because it empties bank accounts.
The FTC says a job offer that includes depositing a check and then using some of the money is a scam. A scammer might send you a check, tell you to deposit it, and wire money back for taxes or fees. The FTC says a request to deposit a check and send money back is a sign of a fake check scam.
Here is why it works on people. The scammer asks you to wire money back. The FTC says once you send money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, you probably won't get it back.
Then the check bounces. The FTC says a fake check will bounce, and the bank will want you to repay the amount of the fake check. The FTC says any money withdrawn from your account is your own money, since the check is worthless.
The FTC says never deposit checks into your bank account and send money back. No real job pays that way.
How to check out a job posting before you respond
Before you answer any offer, take time to check it.
The FTC says to search online for the company name with the words review, complaint, or scam. The FTC says to check what others are saying about the company before you pursue a job with them.
Read the results with care. The FTC says no complaints do not guarantee a company is honest, but complaints can tip you off to possible problems. Silence is not a clean bill of health. A pile of complaints is a loud one.
The FTC says to talk with someone you trust to get their opinion before you take the job. That talk also gives you time to think about it, and time is what a scammer does not want you to have.
If the offer came by text or phone, you can also read about spotting a fake contact in is this a scam number. If it came through a website or a link, see is this a scam website. And if the person spent weeks building trust before the job offer appeared, that pattern is covered in romance scam. Scammers blend these tricks.
Where to find real jobs safely
You do not need to pay anyone to find honest work. The FTC points to free sources.
- The FTC says USAJobs.gov is the federal government's official site with job openings nationwide. Use it to find and apply for a federal government job.
- The FTC says to visit usps.com/employment to find U.S. Postal Service jobs.
- The FTC says CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and lists hundreds of thousands of jobs. It also links to employment and training programs in each state.
- The FTC says USA.gov helps you find local government websites, which list any open positions they may have.
What to do if you already paid or shared personal information
Maybe you read this too late. You sent a fee, or you handed over a Social Security number, bank details or a copy of your ID. The FTC says an employer may do a background check when you apply for a job, so a request for some personal details is normal. A request for money is not. But if your information has already gone out, act now.
The FTC says to report a job scam or money lost to one at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC says you can also report a job scam to your state attorney general.
If you wired money, the FTC says you probably won't get it back once you send it through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union. Report it anyway.
The FTC says to find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams.
The short version
Every warning sign in one place:
- Someone asks you to pay to get a job. That is a scam, says the FTC.
- An offer includes depositing a check and sending money back. That is a fake check scam.
- The job is reshipping packages. That is never a real job.
- A mystery shopping offer demands an upfront fee, or promises big money. Both are scam signs.
- A placement firm wants a fee paid in advance. You are probably dealing with a scam.
- Someone charges you for federal or postal job information that is free to everyone.
The rule underneath all of it: honest employers pay you. They never charge you.