Imagine walking down a street in the town that you live in and being stopped by a stranger. The stranger offers a large sum of money merely because they saw you from a block away and think you look like a generally pleasant person. All that is required to collect the money, explains the stranger, is for you to follow them down an alley right then and there and into an unlit building at the end of the alley.

Would such a proposal seem like an opportunity or a threat to your safety?

You may sense a threat because:

1. Nothing is known about the person who has approached you
2. Financial reward is being offered where no obvious equitable exchange is being asked of you
3. Instant decisioning is required
4. Source of this financial reward is not transparent
5. Implied vulnerability or risk exists if you follow the path laid out
   

Does this hypothetical have a real-world analog? Unfortunately, yes. Every day across the United States, young adults are contacted from out of nowhere and offered a remote-only job opportunity that is not legitimate and will put these job seekers at risk for fraud.

Employment scams are increasingly common, with several surveys noting that a third of job seekers have been approached with offers that are not real. A remote-only job is coveted by many individuals seeking employment, but beware, because such opportunities are rarely legitimate. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has reported that only 6% of entry-level positions in 2025 have been fully remote.

Certain types of positions have trended towards fully remote over the last several years, such as customer service, administrative support, editing, IT software development and certain marketing roles. However, even these roles commonly require candidates to appear at the physical headquarters at least during the job interview or initial orientation.

Anyone looking for a job can be a target, but first-time job seekers are the most vulnerable due to their lack of experience with typical hiring processes. Fraudsters find targets through various means. This can include looking for individuals who have posted their resumes as “open to work” on sites like LinkedIn or Indeed. Alternatively, social media sites like X or Tik Tok are scanned by fraudsters for discussions from people looking for tips on: job hunting, where to apply, what is a good starting salary for certain types of positions, how to interview, how to prepare a resume, what to wear to an in-person interview, etc. 

What do the fraudsters seek from employment targets?

Simple: Money and personal information.

Financial Risk

There are several common ways that fraudsters set up “new employee-victims” for financial loss.

• Equipment purchase – New employees are directed to purchase equipment such as a computer and printer for their home office. The fraudulent employer sends the employee-victim an advance check that is always greater than the cost of the equipment. The employee-victim is instructed to reimburse the employer for the excess of the check. As an example, a $5,000 check is sent to the employee-victim who spends $3,000 on home office equipment. The employee-victim then sends a check for $2,000 back to the employer for the excess. Unfortunately, the original $5,000 is eventually revealed to be a bad check, and the employee-victim has lost $2,000 and has equipment they likely do not need.
• Cash Manager – The new employee is given responsibility for coordinating multiple business activities and is directed to open bank accounts in their own name that will be used for business purposes. The employee-victim then becomes responsible for receiving checks from various field operations within the company (for commissions, travel expenses, or miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenditures) and then forwarding those funds to designated agents or representatives for advances or reimbursements. All checks received eventually bounce, and the employee-victim who made disbursements based on those funds is left with a large overdraft in an account that is now their financial responsibility.
  
• Fees – A new employee is told that training or some type of license/certification must be obtained for them to assume their new position. The cost associated with the training or certification must be paid upfront by the employee-victim, with the promise that they will be reimbursed for it later, such as after a standard 90-day probation period. These amounts are typically a few hundred dollars for the employee-victim, but they are lost when it’s revealed that the job doesn’t exist. 
  

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

The financial losses described above have an immediate negative impact on a job seeker, particularly if they are searching for their first permanent place of employment. However, there is a greater risk on a long-term basis. Information provided by a prospective employee-victim in filling out employment documentation, such as a W-4 and other payroll data, will provide a fraudster with the individual’s Social Security Number, date of birth, address, phone number, email address and potentially other private information.

This is data that the fraudster can use at any time in the future to attempt to steal the identity of the employee-victim or mesh parts of their personal information into a synthetic identity. The employee-victim potentially will not know they have been victimized in this way until their credit rating begins to fall, and they find themselves designated as a credit risk when conducting personal business, such as trying to secure a loan (auto, home or credit card). 

Warning Signs of Employment Threats

What can you do as a job seeker to protect against becoming a victim of an employment scam?

Verify your respective employer before the interview proceeds too far.

• Small companies should have websites or pages on LinkedIn or Facebook. The Secretary of State’s website for wherever the company is located can be used to confirm that such a company is registered. The Better Business Bureau can be searched for information on scam companies. Even your favorite web browser can help if you ask the question, “Is ABC company legitimate?” If it is a scam, you are likely not the first victim.
• Legitimate companies (such as the Fortune 500) are sometimes faked by fraudsters. Even if you are a remote employee, your “boss” will be associated with a specific office, and that should be verifiable through the company’s website or through a well-known navigation website (such as Google Maps). A phone number can be obtained from the legitimate company’s website, and calling the general line can put you in a position of being able to confirm the identity of your alleged boss.

  Example: “Hi, I recently interviewed with John/Jane Doe from your Tulsa office, and I have misplaced their contact information. I was hoping you could connect me with them or forward them a message.” 

Secondarily, there are warning signs you should look out for before you reveal PII.

• Being contacted for a job you did not apply to (there are professional job recruiters or “headhunters”, but these people will not ask for PII, and they will not ask for any money)
• Being offered a relatively high salary for a role that you have no experience with and that does not come with a clear description of duties and responsibilities
• One interview with a job offer made immediately at the end of it
• No interview, with a job offer made with no direct contact, only email or social media communication
• No description of job training or orientation
• No written material provided explaining benefits (such as health insurance, overtime policies, or vacation time)
• Being told to buy your own equipment (real companies will provide your equipment and ship it to you)
• Being asked to pay anything up front (it does not cost money to accept a job)
  

Rely on family members or friends who have more job experience than you and ask them before accepting anything, “does this opportunity look legit to you?” Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in how employment scams are being created, using AI to create job postings and fake websites. The best result comes from taking an interview in person, at the offices of your respective employer, even if the position will ultimately be remote. Do not act quickly under the pressure of the job recruiter or the attraction of a potentially high salary. Take your time taking each step. Do not follow that stranger into the dark alley.

Rely on family members or friends who have more job experience than you and ask them before accepting anything, “does this opportunity look legit to you?” Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in how employment scams are being created, using AI to create job postings and fake websites. The best result comes from taking an interview in person, at the offices of your respective employer, even if the position will ultimately be remote. Do not act quickly under the pressure of the job recruiter or the attraction of a potentially high salary. Take your time taking each step. Do not follow that stranger into the dark alley.