Many job scams promise high pay for little work, but instead of delivering income, they often result in fraudsters obtaining your personal information or access to your financial accounts. These scams may be presented as advertisements on social media, email messages or text messages.
A common tactic involves fake checks. Scammers send a check to supposedly cover equipment costs, such as a new computer or software. They instruct you to deposit the check into your bank account and then use a money-transfer service, gift card, or prepaid money card to send the same amount to a “vendor.” The check inevitably bounces, however, which means the money you sent to the fake vendor comes out of your pocket.
Before applying for any job posting, research the company thoroughly. Some red flags to watch out for:
- The posting includes a vague job description and claims that you can make hundreds or thousands of dollars doing very little work.
- Communication from “company representatives” comes from free or personal email accounts, such as those from gmail.com, yahoo.com, hotmail.com or aol.com.
- You’re hired without ever meeting anyone in person.
- The company doesn’t have a website.
- You receive a check before any work is performed.
- You’re asked to wire-transfer money or purchase prepaid money cards.
Common scams include task-based scams, mystery shopper scams, and offers for high-paying data-entry jobs, often requiring you to pay upfront fees or share banking information.
Forbes lists the following as the top job scams to beware of in 2025:
Remote Work Opportunity Scams
This scam begins with the promise of a work-from-home job that requires little effort, with the posting appearing alongside legitimate job postings. The biggest red flag is compensation that is greatly outsized compared with the effort and skill required for the work. Some offers may be described as updating data or increasing visibility for the company, for example, with compensation listed at $100 to $500 a day.
Reshipping Job Scams
These job scams recruit individuals to receive packages at their home, repackage them and ship them to a destination. The packages received are often purchased with stolen credit cards. Receiving items purchased with stolen money shifts the individual from an “employee” to a reshipper. Victims don’t realize that they’re participating in criminal activity by receiving and distributing the items. In addition to possibly facing criminal charges, victims are unlikely to ever be compensated for packaging and shipping the items.
Bogus Employment Agency Scams
Bogus employment agencies appear to be legitimate, offering resume enhancement, interview coaching and/or direct access to upper management at the hiring agency. After collecting payment, the fake agencies either disappear or continue stringing victims along with a series of additional fees for premium services.
Consumers who need help resolving a complaint against a business or who suspect a scam or an unfair busness preactice should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at
www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.