How do I know if a job offer is fake?
US rules and agencies as of 30 Oct 2026. Official links checked on 30 October 2026.
A fake job offer promises pay for little effort, then asks for your money or personal information. The clearest sign is any request that you pay, deposit a check or send documents before you have spoken to a real employer. The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
The five signs
| Sign | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You are chosen without applying | A message says you were "selected" or "shortlisted" for a role you never saw | Ask which posting it came from; stop if there is no answer |
| Pay is high for easy work | Large pay for a few hours, no skills needed | Treat as almost certainly a scam, per the FTC |
| Hiring happens only by chat | No video or phone interview, only text messages | Ask for a call on a number you can look up |
| Money moves toward you first | A check arrives, or you are told to buy equipment | Never deposit and forward money; see interview and check scams |
| Sensitive data comes too early | Social Security number, bank login or ID photo in the first messages | Do not send it; see SSN requests |
Quick checks before you reply
- Search the company and the recruiter's name with words like "scam", "review" and "complaint". The FTC suggests this step.
- Find the job on the company's own careers page, typed in by you, not through a link in the message.
- Compare the email domain with the company's real website. A free mailbox address for a "company recruiter" is a warning.
- Talk the offer over with someone you trust.
More detail: verify an employer and the fake offer letter guide.
What if I already replied?
Replying is not harmful on its own. Stop when money or documents are requested. If you have already sent either, go to what to do if you paid a job scammer.
Job types the FTC names as scam patterns
The FTC's job scams page lists patterns that show up again and again. If an "offer" fits one of them, slow down before you reply.
| Pattern | What the FTC says |
|---|---|
| Easy money from home | Ads promising thousands of dollars a month for little time or effort |
| Upfront costs | Requests to pay for starter kits, training, certifications, directories or job guarantees |
| Deposit a check | Offers to let you deposit a check, keep part of it and send the rest back; legitimate employers never do this |
| Reshipping | Receiving packages and forwarding them; the FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job |
| Reselling | Buying luxury goods at low prices to resell them |
| Fake nanny, caregiver or virtual assistant roles | Including messages that seem to come from your school or community |
| Mystery shopping | Roles that require a payment or a deposit-and-send-money step |
| Placement firms | Firms that charge candidates an upfront fee; honest firms typically do not |
Step by step: what to do with an offer you did not expect
- Pause. Do not click links, open attachments or move to another chat app yet.
- Write down the company name, the sender's name, email address or phone number, and the job title.
- Open the company's website by typing the address yourself and look for the role on its careers page.
- Search the company and the sender with "scam", "review" and "complaint".
- Contact the company through its general channel and ask whether the offer is real.
- Tell someone you trust. The FTC recommends talking to someone before accepting.
- If any step fails, stop replying and report it.
Common mistakes
- Judging the offer by how professional it looks. Logos, signatures and job descriptions are easy to copy.
- Trusting a link in the message instead of typing the company address.
- Treating "I only gave my name and email" as harmless and then keeping up the conversation until money or documents come up.
- Feeling it is too late to stop once you have started. You can stop at any point.
Safer places to look
The FTC points to USAJobs.gov for federal jobs, CareerOneStop from the US Department of Labor, and USA.gov for local government openings. Federal and postal jobs are always free to apply for. On LiveRec, you can browse employer postings at /jobs and report anything that looks wrong.
FAQ
Can a real employer contact me first? Yes. Recruiters do reach out. The difference is that a real one can name the company, the role and a posting you can find yourself, and never asks for money.
Is a job on a big job board always real? No. Scammers post on legitimate sites too, so apply the same checks everywhere.
Where do I report a fake job on LiveRec? Use Report job on the posting; see how to report job scams.
Does an unexpected offer by email always mean a scam? No. It means you should confirm it independently before sharing anything.
What if the offer is for a remote job? Remote does not make a job fake or real. Apply the same checks: a real posting, a matching company domain, a live conversation and no payment requests.
Sources
- FTC, Job scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams (accessed 30 Oct 2026)
- FTC, ReportFraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov (accessed 30 Oct 2026)
Next step: Verify an employer in ten minutes.
This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change and your situation may differ. Consult a licensed attorney or qualified adviser.