SCAM JOB POSTINGS: EXACTLY WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Job scams have gotten specific and convincing. Here's what still gives them away.
Job scams have gotten specific and convincing — real company names, real logos, interviews conducted entirely over chat, offer letters with correct-looking formatting. “It felt professional” doesn't mean anything anymore. Here's what actually separates a fake listing from a real one.
The pay is disconnected from the work
Suspiciously high for the effort, or the job itself is too vague to describe in one sentence — “data entry,” “brand ambassador,” with no actual product named.
The whole interview happens over text or chat
Real companies do phone or video interviews, especially past the first screen. A recruiter who gets evasive about a live call isn't hiring you for anything real.
The offer comes almost immediately
Real hiring is slow and has friction. An offer within a day or two, with no real evaluation, means there's no real job to fill.
You're asked to buy something before you start
Equipment, a “training kit,” a background check fee paid directly to the recruiter. Legitimate employers reimburse through payroll — never an upfront wire or gift card.
You're asked to receive and forward money
“Mystery shopper” or “reshipping” roles where your first task is moving money through your own account. This is money laundering, and your name is the one on the transaction.
The company's real careers page doesn't list it
Go straight to the company's own site and search the role by title. If it's not there, the listing isn't from them — no matter which job board it came from.
The email domain doesn't quite match
An extra letter, a hyphen, a different TLD. Real corporate recruiters email from the real corporate domain, every time.
They want sensitive info before an offer is signed
Your SSN or bank details for “direct deposit setup” have no business being requested before a signed offer, through an actual HR system.
THE FAST CHECK, EVERY TIME
Find the company's real website independently — don't click the link in the posting — check their actual careers page, and look up the recruiter on LinkedIn to confirm they work there. The fake listing can look perfect, but it can't make the real company's own systems agree with it.