Here at FlexJobs, we loathe job search scams and are truly interested in helping job seekers identify and steer clear of “too good to be true” job opportunities. FlexJobs’ CEO,Sara Sutton, started FlexJobs in 2007 tofight back against the frustrating—and often harmful—fraudulentscams in the work-at-home job market．That’s why we hand-screen every single job and company before it’s posted on our site: to help job seekers stay safe and avoid job search scams.

Work-at-home jobs have always been a target of scammers hoping to gain personal and financial information. However, they’verecently become even larger targets thanks in part to the pandemic．与人失去或放弃他们的工作, there are more job seekers out there to fall victim to scams. Scammers are incredibly tuned into the fact that some job seekers are desperate to make money, and they will use this in recruiting new professionals who may not be accustomed to looking forwork-from-home jobs．

Must-Know Job Scam Facts

To protect yourself from scams, you need to explore what drives the scam industry. Here are a few facts about job scams to keep in mind while job searching.

• Between 2020 and 2021,scams reported to the FTC tripledand continue to grow.
• The BBB states that Americanslose $2 billion annuallydue to job scams.
• Cybercriminals are alsotargeting mobile devices, with a 50% increase in attacks.
• Experian states thatfraud threats will surge in 2023due to economic uncertainty.

Knowing how to differentiate legitimate work opportunities from harmful ones is the best way to protect yourself in your search for a remote job. And while job scams can pop up in any profession, we’ve got a list of the most common job search scams you should be aware of.

Common Job Search Scams

1.Using Fake URLs, Photos, and Company Names

You come across an online job listing from a well-known company offering work-from-home jobs. Is it too good to be true? Is the company really the company it claims to be?

Scammers will try to recreate the legitimate company’s website by slightly altering the web address. If you’re not looking closely, you may not realize that you’re on a scam website. For example, a real company website might have the address,companyname.com．But when you’re looking at the fake website, the address iscompany-name.com．It’s a subtle change, but it could indicate you’re not on the company’s real website.

Scammers will also steal photos and images from real companies to create social media accounts, emails, and websites to try to make job seekers feel safer. When in doubt, do your own research for company information and contact the company directly.

2.Gaining Access to Personal Financial Information

This could be the oldest and most well-known scam tactic in the books. Even the most tech-savvy job scammers use this method because it still works.

It is true that before you start a job, you need to give your employer your social security number. And since most companies pay salaries via direct deposit, you will eventually need to share your banking information too. However, if a company is asking you for this information early (likeasking for your social security number on a job application, or wanting your banking information before they can offer you the job), the job is likely a scam.

3.Communicating Through Chat

Scammers use instant messaging services, like Telegram or WhatsApp, to communicate and conduct fake job interviewers with job seekers. Although convenient, it is rare to actually secure a job or conduct a job interview with a legitimate company through asocial media or chat platform．If you are approached through chat, be sure to request that they give you a call, and do your research before interviewing to see if the results yield any red flags.

4.Lacking Verifiable Information

You may have thought you found your dream job, but upon further inspection, you can’t find any information about the company. If you can’t verify a phone number, location, web address, or employees, you’re definitely looking at a scam. In this day and age,real companies will have an online presence and some social media engagement—if they don’t have a decent following, they may not be legitimate.

5.Phishing

Emails, texts, phone calls, instant messages, or even ads on popular search engine and website homepages—you name it, and there is a phishing scam. If a job is requiring you to click on a specific link or isasking for detailed personal and financial information, someone is trying to collect your sensitive information for malicious use. Phishing scams often look like they come from a trusted and well-known company, so always reach out to an employer directly through their legitimate website, rather than respond to any “phishy”-looking communication.

6.Google Doc: Inviting or Mentioning

A lesser-known scam includes inviting you to or mentioning you in a Google Doc that you wouldn’t normally use. The name may or may not be someone you know and the title of the doc may look legit. However,pay close attention to the email used to send the doc, as well as any links that may be included. These scams will typically provide a link for you to click on to “start earning now.”

7.Paying for Remote Work Equipment

While it’s not completely out of the norm to have to obtain for your own home office equipment, job seekers do not need to do so prior to being hired. Many scammers willask for job seekers tosend money for equipmentneeded to perform the job and state that they’ll be reimbursed in their first paycheck.

8.Data Entry Scams

Data entry scams come in many forms, but the common theme is that they promise a lot of money for a job that does not require much skill. Jobs in this category often require an upfront payment for processing or training and very rarely pay as well as advertised. There arelegitimate data entry jobsout there, but they do not advertise extravagant wages, and they do not require an initial outlay of funds.

9.Pyramid Marketing

Pyramid marketing is illegal and has no basis in real commerce. Typically, there is no product involved in a pyramid marketing scheme, just the exchange of money. Similar to chain letters, people invest in pyramid marketing because they believe they will benefit from investments made by people who follow them into the program. For someone to make money with a pyramid marketing scheme, someone else must lose funds.

10.Stuffing Envelopes

Stuffing envelopes is a job scam that has been around for many years. Although variations exist, this scam typically involves signing up and paying a fee to “stuff envelopes from home.” Once enrolled, you receive a document explaining how to get others to buy the same envelope-stuffing opportunity you did. You earn a small commission when someone else falls for the scam and pays the nonrefundable fee.

11.Wire Transfers

Popular among thieves, wire transfer scams move money quickly from one account to another. These transactions are difficult to reverse, making it nearly impossible to recover lost funds. Although sometimes the request for a money transfer may seem legitimate, it should always be thoroughly checked out. Scammers have been known to pose as company executives asking employees to fraudulently move money from one account to another.

12.Unsolicited Job Offers

Unsolicited job offers often come in the form of a job scam email. These offers are not sought by the job seeker and offer either immediate employment or the opportunity to interview for a great job. Some scammers will even pretend to be from a well-known company or job board (such asbeplay中心app, ZipRecruiter, or Indeed) to convince a job seeker to interview. These offers may also come in through social media (like Facebook, Telegram, Reddit, Twitter, or Instagram).

EvenLinkedIn is no strangerto job search and recruitment scams. It is possible that a legitimate recruiter is reaching out to you about a legitimate job. It’s also possible that it is a scam. Scammers will use LinkedIn to reach out to targets, knowing you’re more likely to fall for the scam because the message is coming through LinkedIn. A new twist to this scam is fake recruiters who, after connecting on LinkedIn,ask job seekers to download Telegramfor the interview.Treat every unsolicited offer as a job scam—no matter where it comes from．

13.Online Reshipping

Online reshipping is a very serious job search scam because those who fall for it unintentionally become criminals. Reshipping jobs, also known as postal forwarding, are work-at-home jobs that involve repacking and forwarding stolen goods to customers outside the United States. Although promised a paycheck and reimbursement for shipping charges paid out of their own pocket, those who fall victim to this type of scam rarely receive any money.

14.Rebate Processor

Rebate processing jobs mislead job seekers by promising high income in exchange for processing rebates at home. A nonrefundable “training” fee is usually required to get started as a rebate processor. Instead of simply processing rebates, this job involves creating ads for various products and posting them on the Internet. A small commission is earned when someone buys the products, part of which is sent back to the buyer as a rebate.

15.Assembling Crafts/Products

Work-at-home assembly jobs have been around a long time. Most companies offering these positionsrequire you to pay an enrollment fee and purchase all supplies and materialsfrom them as well. Companies are known to reject finished products regardless of how closely they match the sample finished product. Or, you have to buy a list of companies looking for your assembly services. Once you pay for the list, however, you rarely find the work you thought you would.

16.Career Advancement Grants

This scam is geared toward job seekers who may want or need to gain extra education or certifications for their career. You’ll typically receive an email asking you to apply online for acareer advancement grantthat supposedly comes from the government and can be directly deposited into your account if approved.

How to Identify Job Scams

There are some telltale signs that indicate a job posting is probably a scam:

• 广告使用的单词可能是太好了true: quick money, unlimited earning potential, free work-from-home jobs.
• There is a sense of urgency, or the recruiter is pushing you to accept the job now. Any legitimate company won’t push you into accepting a job offer immediately.
• The job post or email has obvious grammatical or spelling errors.
• You’re offered the job without a recruiterverifying your work experienceor asking for references.
• The “company” has an email domain from Gmail or other popular providers.
• The job description is unusually vague.

Below are more examples from scam job search ads, all of which include one or several of the talking points above.

—Email Using an Emergency to Advertise Supposed Online Jobs

—“Company” Domain Uses Gmail; Inconsistencies Within Email; Interviews via Text

—Vague Job Listing—No Company Name, No Job Duties Listed

—No Experience, High Income, No Company Name, Huge Range of Jobs

—Example of a Copycat Scam Using CNBC’s Web Design, Logo, Etc.

—Common Flyers Posted Publicly

—Email Designed to Look Like a Reply to Your Own Message (That You Never Sent)

—Post in Facebook Group Posing as a Different Company/Organization

How to Protect Yourself

While anyone can fall prey to job scams, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe while you search online:

1. Do your homework．Research the company and the people who contact you. What results do you get when you search [Company Name] + scam? You can also use theBetter Business Bureau’s scam trackerto review (and report!) job scams.
2. Connect with the company．Go directly to the company website and see if the job is posted on their jobs page.
3. Trust your gut．If it feels like a scam, it probably is.

The FlexJobs’ Career Experts share the following advice to job seekers looking for remote, work-from-home jobs:

“At times, either our need for employment or our excitement for a job can be difficult to contain. Scammers know this and can prey on those emotions and needs. While it’s certainly good to have a level of excitement in your job search, do your best to alsothink logically, do your research, and ask questions to verify the legitimacyof a position, rather than making decisions solely from an emotional standpoint or pure excitement.

Those trying to scam others can use urgency or a fear of missing out on an opportunity to cause people to not question something that in reality feels “off” about the process. In other words, there is a pressure to “decide now” or an urgency to “send some personal information.” In reality,these are often indicators that you need to do more homework about the organization．A legitimate organization that is interested in your great qualifications will likely appreciate your thoroughness and professionalism.”

And if you think you’ve found a scam, reach out to the company to inform them, andreport the scamto organizations like the BBB and FTC.

Search Safe

Remote work offerslegitimate job opportunitiesfor workers in nearly every field. But it is also an area that’s ripe for scams. That’s why FlexJobs was created—to provide a safe environment for job seekers to look for remote jobs without the risk of a job scam.

Here’s what FlexJobs members have to say about their scam-free and safe search.

“谢谢FlexJobsbeplay中心app,我能够找到一个full-time, 100% remote job with excellent pay, great benefits, and the flexibility that I was searching for. Searching for a job is difficult as is, but finding a remote job that isn’t a scam or grossly underpaid is an entirely different process.I found FlexJobs to be the only site with reliable and accurate listings for companiesand organizations that are notable and acclaimed. Be patient and use FlexJobs—you’ll find something soon enough!”

—Kelly P., Communications Coordinator atPopulation Services International – PSI

“Thank you so much for this site.I got so many spam job offers using Indeed．FlexJobs is great!”

—Melissa P., Virtual Assistant atBELAY

“After searching for months through LinkedIn and Indeed, I was exhausted with the number of jobs that were not remote, not vetted, and/or not serious about hiring a full-time professional．I subscribed to FlexJobs and, within the first week, had multiple interviews and a contract for a full-time job with benefits. In the future, I will 100% be using FlexJobs. I have told all my friends and colleagues how much I love the site.”

—Christen E., Customer Success Manager atinsightsoftware

“I would highly recommend FlexJobs.I used Indeed for a few years, and honestly, most of the remote jobs I found either did not pay enough or they were scams．Take advantage of all FlexJobs has to offer—the webinars, and ALL of the resources. I found a job that allows me to work 100% remotely. I save money and have less anxiety. Thank you!”

—Tracy W., Financial Customer Service Representative atEmpower Retirement

“During the pandemic, I realized I could actually work from home. I was stuck in brick-and-mortar retail when I found FlexJobs through a Google search. Although I was iffy at first due to the subscription, I found the website easy to use and really like that FlexJobs verifies all jobs before they post them.I feel much safer using FlexJobs than other sites, such as Monster or Indeed, and I found a job that suits my skills and needs．”

—Kelly M., Customer Service Representative atBroadPath

When looking for remote, work-from-home and hybrid jobs, be smart and search safely, as well as familiarize yourself with the common career fields that frequently allow workers toearn an income from home．

FlexJobs IsSO Much MoreThan Just a Job Board

In addition to helpful articles like this one, members get unlimited access to:

• Highest Quality Remote & Flexible Jobs
• 200+ Expert Skills Tests

• Virtual Job Fairs
• Weekly Career Coach Q&As
• And so much more…

2018beplay

What To Do If You’ve Been Scammed Online

How to Stay Away from LinkedIn Scams

What Does It Mean to Be Scammed by a Job?

Protecting Your Online Identity as a Job Seeker