How can I find legitimate remote jobs?

Use established job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, FlexJobs, or company career pages. Research the company, verify the job posting on the company's official website, and never pay upfront fees.

What is a reshipping scam?

Scammers hire workers to receive packages at home and forward them to another address. The packages contain items purchased with stolen credit cards. Workers face criminal liability for receiving stolen goods.

What if I already shared my bank details?

Contact your bank immediately to secure your account. Place fraud alerts on your credit reports. Monitor your accounts closely for unauthorized transactions. File a report with the FTC and local police.

Work From Home Scams: Spot Fake Remote Jobs & Employment Fraud

Overview

Work-from-home scams exploit the growing demand for remote employment. Scammers post attractive job listings promising high pay for minimal work, then use these fake positions to steal personal information, collect fees for training materials, or recruit unwitting participants into money laundering schemes. The rise of remote work has made these scams harder to distinguish from legitimate opportunities.

How This Scam Works

Scammers post job listings for positions like data entry, envelope stuffing, or product testing that promise high pay for easy work.

They collect personal information, including Social Security numbers and bank details, during the fake hiring process for identity theft.

Some require payment for training materials, software, or certification before starting work.

Reshipping scams recruit workers to receive and forward packages purchased with stolen credit cards, making the worker an unwitting accomplice to fraud.

Warning Signs

⚠Job offers that promise high pay for little or no experience required

⚠Requests to pay for training materials, certifications, or equipment upfront

⚠Job offers received without applying or interviewing

⚠Vague job descriptions that avoid specifics about the work

⚠Requests for personal financial information before hiring is finalized

⚠Payment by check with instructions to send a portion to someone else

Real Scam Examples

These are examples of messages used in this type of scam.

We have reviewed your resume and would like to offer you a remote position as a Financial Processing Agent. Salary: $4,500/month. No experience needed. Your duties include receiving and forwarding payments. To get started, please send us your bank details for payroll setup.

Job Listing

IMMEDIATE HIRE: Work from home product tester. Earn $75/hour testing products shipped to your home. Write short reviews and keep the products. Apply now! One-time registration fee of $49.99 required.

How to Protect Yourself

1Research the company thoroughly

Verify the company exists with a legitimate website, physical address, and business registration. Check reviews on Glassdoor and the BBB.

2Never pay to get a job

Legitimate employers never charge employees for training, equipment, or the privilege of working. Any upfront fee is a red flag.

3Be cautious of unsolicited offers

Real employers do not typically send job offers to people who have not applied. Unsolicited job offers, especially via text or social media, are usually scams.

4Never forward payments or packages

Any job that involves receiving and forwarding money or packages is likely a fraud scheme. You could face criminal liability for participating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Think you have received a scam like this?

Paste the suspicious message into our free AI-powered scam analyzer.

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