Warning signs, and what to do
Scam job offers look like real ones. Scammers copy real company names, logos and staff names. Look for these signs, in the job post and in every message after it.
They ask you to pay
What you see
A fee for training, a starter kit, a laptop, software, a background check or a visa. They often promise to refund it later.
What to do
Stop. A real employer pays you and never charges you to start.
You earn for small tasks, then must deposit
What you see
You get small payments to like, rate or “boost” products online. Then you must deposit money to withdraw your earnings.
What to do
Do not deposit. The earnings on screen are not real, and the deposit does not come back.
The whole interview is by chat
What you see
Questions arrive on WhatsApp, Telegram or text. Nobody from the company joins a voice or video call.
What to do
Ask for a video call with a named person from the company. Treat a refusal as your answer.
The recruiter uses free mail
What you see
The email comes from @gmail.com, @yahoo.com or @outlook.com. Or the domain is a near copy of the company’s, with a letter changed.
What to do
Compare the domain with the company website you found yourself.
You never applied
What you see
A message arrives out of the blue with a job offer. It often promises high pay for little work.
What to do
Do not click links or reply. Real employers do not hire through random texts.
They push you to act fast
What you see
You must reply within hours. Or the offer arrives on the same day as the first message.
What to do
Take your time. LinkedIn says most real hiring takes two to six weeks.
A cheque arrives, then a refund request
What you see
They send a cheque or a transfer. Then they ask you to send part of it back or pay their supplier.
What to do
Send nothing back. A fake cheque bounces later, and your bank asks you to repay it all.
They want your ID or bank details early
What you see
Before any interview, they ask for a passport scan, an ID number, bank details or a one-time code.
What to do
Share ID only after a written offer, through the company’s own onboarding. Never share a password or a code.
Some signs point to a bad employer rather than a scam, such as a vague job post or “remote” that turns out to mean office days. Our guide to remote work red flags covers those.
How to check the employer posted the job
Scammers often use a real company’s name for a job it never posted. This check takes a few searches. Do it before you send a CV or any personal details.
- 1
Search for the company yourself.
Type its name into a search engine. Do not use a link from the message.
- 2
Open its careers page.
Look for “Careers” or “Jobs” in the menu or at the bottom of its website.
- 3
Find the same job title.
Some companies list jobs on a separate hiring page. That is fine when their own website links to it.
- 4
Compare the email domain.
The recruiter’s email should end with the company’s website address.
- 5
Search for complaints.
Search the company or recruiter’s name with the word “scam” or “complaint”.
- 6
Ask the company.
Still unsure? Write to it through the contact details on its own website. Ask if the job and the recruiter are real.
EXAMPLE
The job is at a company whose website is company.com
Same domain as the company website
Free mail, anyone can open it
“rn” in place of “m”, a different domain
An agency may post a job for a client. Then check the agency the same way. Its own website should list the job. If the job means moving abroad from the Philippines, look for the agency on the DMW list of licensed agencies. A real job can also be closed. Our guide to ghost jobs explains why.
What to do if you already paid or shared details
Act fast. A quick report gives your bank the best chance to stop the money.
- 1
Stop replying. Send no more money, even if they promise a refund.
- 2
Call your bank or payment app now. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- 3
In India, call 1930 at once. The helpline can try to freeze the money.
- 4
Keep everything. Save screenshots, phone numbers, account numbers, receipts and the job post.
- 5
Shared a password or a code? Change the password and turn on two-step sign-in.
- 6
Report it. Tell the police service in your country, using the list below. Report the post on the site where you saw it too.
- 7
Ignore offers to get your money back for a fee. They are often a second scam.
Where to report a job scam
Report it even if you lost nothing. Your report can help the police find the people behind it.
Nigeria
- EFCC: submit a petition online
- EFCC hotline+234 809 332 2644
India
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- Helpline for money lost to fraud1930
Philippines
- Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Hotline 1326, 24 hours
- Department of Migrant Workers, for recruitment to work abroad Hotline 1348
Kenya
- Directorate of Criminal Investigations, FICHUA line0800 722 203, free
- DCI on WhatsApp0709 570 000
- National KE-CIRT/CC, for online fraud
United Kingdom
- Report Fraud, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland 0300 123 2040
- Police Scotland101
Report the job post to the site where you saw it. On LinkedIn, open the job, then choose “Report this job” from the More menu.
How RemoteHunt helps
RemoteHunt collects remote jobs from employers’ own career sites and job boards, and shows where each can hire. It is free to start, and you never pay to apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is a remote job that asks for a fee ever real?
No. A real employer does not charge you to apply, train or start work. A fee is the clearest sign of a scam.
Is a job interview on WhatsApp or Telegram a scam?
Not always. Some recruiters use chat apps to set up a call. A whole interview by text, with no call, is a warning sign.
Can a scam use a real company’s name?
Yes. Scammers copy real company names, logos and staff names. That is why you look for the job on the company’s own website.
What is a task scam?
You get small payments for liking or rating things online. Then you are told to deposit money to withdraw your earnings. The deposit does not come back.
What if I already sent money?
Call your bank or payment app now, then report it. The steps are in what to do if you already paid.
Do remote employers really hire people in Nigeria, India or the Philippines?
Yes. Our remote job market stats count the live remote jobs that can hire in each country.
Sources
We wrote this guide from official advice. We checked every link below on October 22, 2026.
- US Federal Trade Commission. Job scams, consumer advice, updated March 2023
- US Federal Trade Commission. How to spot and avoid task scams, consumer alert, August 2025
- US Federal Trade Commission. Job scammers are looking to hire you, consumer alert, July 2025
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Scammers defraud individuals via work-from-home scams, public service announcement, June 2024
- Report Fraud, City of London Police. Recruitment scams, A-Z of cyber crime and fraud
- LinkedIn Help. Search for jobs confidently and safely, help article
- LinkedIn Help. Reporting jobs on LinkedIn, help article
- Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Curbing cyber frauds in Digital India, backgrounder, October 2025
- Department of Migrant Workers, Philippines. DMW steps up crackdown on online job scams and illegal recruitment, news release, May 2026
- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria. Submit a petition, reporting page
- Communications Authority of Kenya. Cyber security (National KE-CIRT/CC), page