Job & Employment Scams
Fake job offers and work-from-home fraud
How It Hooks You (Psychology)
- •Exploit desire for income and employment
- •Offer easy money for simple tasks
- •Use legitimate-looking company branding
- •Request upfront fees for "equipment" or "training"
- •Ask for personal information under guise of onboarding
Red Flags to Watch For
- Job offer without interview
- Request for payment upfront
- Vague job description
- Email from free email account (not company domain)
- Asks for personal info (SSN) too early in process
- Promises unusually high pay for low-skill work
- Check cashing or package forwarding "jobs"
- Asks you to pay for starter kit or training
Common Examples
- •Work-from-home envelope stuffing scam
- •Mystery shopper asked to test wire transfer services
- •Package reshipping (unknowingly moving stolen goods)
- •Check cashing (making you an accomplice to fraud)
- •Fake job interview to steal identity information
- •Multi-level marketing disguised as employment
- •Asks you to buy products upfront to become a seller
What To Do Now
- Do not send money or personal information
- Research the company independently
- Check for company on Better Business Bureau
- Verify job posting through company's official website
- Never cash checks or forward money for "employers"
- Report the posting to job board
- Report to FTC (US) or equivalent
- Warn your network if you were targeted
If You Already Paid
- •Contact your bank if you sent money
- •If you received and cashed a fake check, you are responsible to the bank
- •Stop any further activity immediately
- •Do not forward any more packages
- •Report to local police and FTC
- •Monitor your credit reports for identity theft
- •If you gave SSN or ID, consider credit freeze
- •Consult with attorney if unknowingly involved in criminal activity
⚠️ Avoid Round-Two Scams
After falling for a job scam, be wary of "debt collection" calls or "legal actions" threatening you. Also watch for "recovery" services claiming they can get your upfront fees back. These are often follow-up scams targeting the same victims.