Is this job a scam?
If you're asking, slow down before you reply. Job scams took about $500 million from Americans in 2024, according to the FTC.
9 signs it's a scam
- They contacted you first by text, WhatsApp or Telegram about a job you never applied for.
- The interview is only by text or chat. No phone call, no video, no person.
- You're hired right away, with no real interview.
- The pay is high for easy work. "$45 an hour, no experience, work from home."
- They ask you to pay for something: training, equipment, a background check, a "starter kit."
- They send you a check and ask you to send part of it back or buy gift cards. The check will bounce after your money is gone.
- They ask for your Social Security number or bank details before a written offer.
- The email comes from Gmail or a misspelled company name, not the company's own address.
- The "job" is doing small tasks in an app like rating products, and you have to deposit money to keep earning.
One sign is enough to stop. Two or more, walk away.
How to check a job in five minutes
- Go to the company's own website. Type the address yourself. Don't click their link.
- Find the careers page. Is the job listed there?
- Call the company's main number and ask if the recruiter works there.
- Search the company name with the word "scam."
If the job isn't on the company's own site, treat it as fake.
What a real employer does
- Posts the job on its own website.
- Talks to you by phone or video.
- Sends a written offer before asking for tax or bank forms.
- Never asks you to pay for anything.
If you already sent money or information
- Call your bank right away.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- If you gave your Social Security number, go to identitytheft.gov.
It happens to careful people. Report it anyway. It helps the next person.
Why we check every job we send
Every job on a Keen list is checked on the employer's own site before it reaches you. That's part of what you pay for.