# Job scam research

> Sourced research on job scams: how large the problem is, which red flags show up most, and how the tactics are shifting. We pull from the FTC, the BBB, and the FBI, and from what the checker sees, and we show our working. Free to read, free to cite.

Source: https://realjobcheck.com/research/  
Updated: 2026-06-02 - Real Job Check Trust and Safety Research Team

---

We publish what the data shows, with every figure attributed to a named, dated source.

<ul class="lib-grid">
  <li class="lib-card"><span class="lib-tag">Study - 2026</span><h3><a href="/research/anatomy-of-a-job-scam-2026/">Anatomy of a job scam: 7 red flags, by the numbers</a></h3><p>What job scams cost, the seven signals that give them away, and how the fastest-growing variety - the task scam - actually works. Built on FTC, BBB, and FBI data, with an embedded chart you can reuse.</p></li>
</ul>

## How we source it

Two inputs feed this research. The first is public data from the agencies that track fraud: the [FTC](https://www.ftc.gov/), the [BBB](https://www.bbb.org/), and the FBI's [IC3](https://www.ic3.gov/). The second is what the [job checker](/#check) observes across the postings people submit - which signals fire, how often, and in what combinations - reported only in aggregate and never tied to any individual person.

As the checker sees more postings, this section grows into a live picture of what job scams look like right now. If you cite a figure from here, a link back to the source page is all we ask. For the practical version, the [complete guide](/learn/how-to-spot-a-job-scam/) turns the data into a checklist.