These pages answer one question each, in the words people actually type when an offer arrives and something does not feel right. Start with the one that matches your situation, or paste the posting into the free job checker for an evidence-backed verdict in about twenty seconds.
- Start here
Is this job offer a scam? How to tell
The eight signals that separate a real offer from a lure, and the sixty-second self-check that sorts most of them.
- Start here
Is there a free job scam checker?
Yes - what a trustworthy one should do, where it helps most, and the checks you should still run yourself.
- Start here
Is a free job scam checker safe to use?
It is, if it does not store or sell what you paste. What to confirm first, and what to strip out before you paste a message.
- Personal data
Should I give my bank account or SSN for a job?
When a real employer needs each one, and why being asked before a signed offer is the loudest red flag there is.
- Money
A job wants to pay me before I start - is that a scam?
The fake-check and overpayment scam, how it drains your account weeks later, and the one rule that defeats it.
- Contact
A recruiter messaged me on WhatsApp or Telegram - is it real?
Why moving you off-platform fast is a scam pattern, and how to confirm a recruiter is who they say they are.
- Money
Do I have to pay for training or equipment for a job?
The advance-fee scam in plain terms. A real employer never asks you to pay to get hired. Ever.
- Process
I got a job offer without an interview - is it real?
What an instant offer usually means, the rare cases where it is legitimate, and how to tell which one you have.
- Remote work
Is this remote "task" or data-entry job a scam?
The fastest-growing job scam of 2024 by report volume. How the task and "gamified" trap works, step by step.
- Recovery
I already gave a scammer my information or money - what now?
A calm, ordered checklist: what to lock down first, who to call, and where to report it today.
- Money
A job asked me to buy gift cards - is it a scam?
No real employer ever asks for gift-card codes. Why it is always a scam, and what to do if you already sent them.
- Money
A job sent me a check to deposit - is it real?
The fake-check scam, how the timing trap works, and the one rule that defeats it.
- Personal data
A job asked for a photo of my ID or passport - normal?
When ID verification is legitimate, and why an early request for a photo of your passport or license is an identity-theft trap.
- Process
A job wants me to download an app or click a link - safe?
Why a push to install an app or open a portal before any interview is a scam step, and how to verify before you click.
- Process
Is this interview app legit, or a scam?
Why a recruiter pushing an interview or screening app before any real interview is a scam step, and how to check first.
- Money
A job mailed me equipment before I started - is it a scam?
The two scams behind unsolicited equipment: a bouncing reimbursement check, and a reshipping scheme that makes you a mule.
- Platforms
Got a job offer by text message - is it real?
Why an unsolicited job text is almost always bait, and what to do with it.
- Platforms
Is this LinkedIn recruiter or job offer real?
LinkedIn has real recruiters and impersonators. How to verify the recruiter and the role before you trust the message.
- Platforms
Is this Indeed job a scam?
A posting on a big board is not proof. The warning signs, and how to confirm the role on the employer's own site.
- Platforms
Is this ZipRecruiter job legit?
Quick-apply makes fake reposts easy. Judge the offer, not the board, and verify the company first.
- Platforms
Is this Facebook job posting or group offer real?
Group posts get little vetting and scams spread fast. The roles most often faked, and how to check first.
- Big-name employers
Is this Amazon work-from-home job real?
Amazon is the brand scammers impersonate most. The signs a message is fake, and how to reach Amazon's real hiring.
- Big-name employers
Is this USPS or postal job offer real?
Real postal jobs are on usps.com/careers and free. Spotting the fake-job and reshipping versions scammers run.
- Big-name employers
Is this Walmart remote job real?
Real Walmart jobs are on careers.walmart.com. The signs a remote Walmart offer is an impersonation.
- Big-name employers
Is this government or federal job offer real?
Real federal jobs are on USAJOBS.gov and free. Spotting the fee scams and data grabs that borrow a government name.
- Big-name employers
Is this airline or flight attendant job real?
The training-fee tell that marks a fake airline job, and how to find the carrier's real careers page.
- Big-name employers
Is this Disney work-from-home job real?
Disney is impersonated with fake remote offers. The signs a message is a scam, and how to find the real openings.
- Big-name employers
Is this FedEx or UPS job real?
Real shipping jobs are on the carriers' own sites. Spotting the reshipping and fake-remote versions scammers run.
- Big-name employers
Is this Costco job real?
Real Costco jobs are on careers.costco.com. The signs a remote Costco offer is an impersonation.
- Big-name employers
Is this Apple work-from-home job real?
Apple At Home Advisor is real and on jobs.apple.com. Spotting the impersonations that charge fees or ask for gift cards.
- Big-name employers
Is this Google or tech recruiter job real?
Fake big-tech recruiters work LinkedIn and Telegram. How to tell a real tech recruiter from an impersonation.
- Big-name employers
Is this Netflix work-from-home job real?
The watch-and-rate and tagger offers are the tell. How to spot a fake Netflix job and find the real openings.
- Scam types
Is this remote package-handler or reshipping job a scam?
Receive and forward packages from home is the reshipping scam, and it can turn you into a money mule.
- Scam types
Is this mystery shopper job a scam?
Real mystery shopping never starts with a check the recruiter sends you. Why a check up front is the tell.
- Scam types
Is car wrap advertising legitimate?
Get paid to wrap your car sounds easy. Why a check before any work is the fake-check tell.
- Scam types
Is this crypto or web3 job asking me to fund a wallet a scam?
Any job that asks you to fund or connect a wallet to start is built to drain it, not to pay you.
- Scam types
Is this AI-trainer or data-annotation job a scam?
Real AI-training work never charges you to start. How to tell a genuine platform from a task scam in disguise.
- Scam types
Is this commission-only sales job a pyramid scheme?
Paid mainly for recruiting, charged to join, promised passive income. How to tell a pyramid scheme from a real sales job.
- Verification
How do I verify a recruiter is real?
Verify a recruiter independently of the contact they gave you. The five-minute check that exposes an impersonator.
- Verification
How do I tell a real recruiter email from a fake one?
The domain after the @ is the tell. How to spot a free or lookalike address behind a real-looking name.
- Verification
How do I find a company's real careers page and apply link?
Do not trust the link you were sent. How to find the company's own careers page and apply at the source.
- Verification
How do I check if a company is real before applying?
Confirm the employer exists independently of the posting. The quick checks that expose a shell or an impersonator.
- Verification
How do I know if a work-from-home job is legitimate?
Remote does not mean real. The signals that separate a legitimate work-from-home job from a scam.
- Recovery
I deposited a fake check from a job - what do I do now?
Stop, tell your bank it was a scam, and report it. The ordered steps to limit the damage.
- Recovery
I sent money to a job scammer - can I get it back?
Your options depend on how you paid. The fastest step for gift cards, card, bank transfer, and crypto.
- Recovery
I gave a job scammer my SSN or a photo of my ID - what now?
Treat it as identity theft. Freeze your credit, use IdentityTheft.gov, and watch for new accounts.
- Recovery
How do I report a job scam?
Where to report a job scam: the FTC, the FBI's IC3, the platform, and the BBB. What to include.
- Recovery
Did I become a money mule by forwarding packages or payments?
If a job had you forward packages or payments, you may have been a money mule. Stop now, document, and report.
What makes an answer page different from the guide
A guide teaches the whole topic. An answer page settles one question, fast, in the opening line, because that is the moment you are in when you search it. The detail and the sources follow for anyone who wants to verify. If a question here leads you to a fix, the complete guide to spotting a job scam ties it all together, and the glossary defines the scam types by name.
Every number on these pages is attributed to a named, dated source - the FTC, the BBB, the FBI's IC3 - not to a vague consensus, and we revisit the figures when the data changes. That is the same standard the free checker holds itself to: show the evidence, let you confirm it.