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The job scam library

Eight patterns account for over 90% of fraudulent job postings flagged by our community. Each one is documented below with the exact wording scammers use, the red flags to look for, and what to do when you see them.

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Advance fee & equipment scams Ghost jobs Off-platform pressure Data harvesting Fake check overpayment Recruiter & company impersonation Compensation bait-and-switch Manufactured urgency

Pattern 01 · 1 in 6 reports

Advance fee & equipment scams

high

The 'employer' offers you a job, then asks you to pay for a laptop, training, certification, or background check up front — promising reimbursement on your first paycheck. The paycheck never arrives.

Example

"Congratulations! To finalize your remote position, please send $499 via Zelle to cover your work-from-home equipment kit. This will be fully reimbursed on your first payroll cycle."

Red flags

Any request for payment before day one
Zelle, Cash App, gift cards, or crypto as the rail
'Reimbursed on first paycheck' framing
Urgency: pay within 24 hours to 'secure the role'

What to do

No legitimate employer will ever ask you to pay them money to start a job. Walk away.

Pattern 02 · ~21% of postings

Ghost jobs

elevated

Postings that have been live for months with no real intent to hire — used to build talent pipelines, gauge market salaries, signal company growth to investors, or satisfy posting quotas.

Example

Posting reposted every 30 days for 8+ months, vague 'rolling basis' timeline, generic JD copy-pasted across multiple companies on the same ATS template.

Red flags

Same posting reposted every 30 days for 3+ months
No hiring manager or recruiter name attached
Generic JD with no team or product specifics
Salary range absurdly wide ($60k–$220k)

What to do

Use LinkedIn's 'reposted' tag, check the company's careers page for hiring velocity, and ask the recruiter directly: 'How many people have you interviewed for this role?'

Pattern 03 · Common precursor to fraud

Off-platform pressure

high

Within minutes of you applying, a 'recruiter' DMs you on Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal asking to move the conversation off LinkedIn or the job board.

Example

"Hi! I saw your application. Our team prefers to communicate on Telegram — can you add me at @hr_recruiter_jane? It's faster than email."

Red flags

Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, or personal Gmail as the only contact channel
No company email address (@company.com)
Refuses to schedule a video call with camera on
Interview happens entirely over chat

What to do

Insist on a video call with camera. Verify the recruiter exists on the company's official LinkedIn. If they refuse, end the conversation.

Pattern 04 · Fastest-growing category

Data harvesting

high

The 'application' asks for your SSN, bank account, driver's license photo, or full date of birth before any interview has taken place. The job doesn't exist — your identity is the product.

Example

Step 3 of the application: 'Upload a clear photo of your driver's license (front and back) and provide your Social Security number for our background check.'

Red flags

SSN, bank, or ID requested before interview
Application hosted on a Google Form, Typeform, or random domain
No background-check vendor named (Checkr, HireRight, etc.)
'I-9 verification' requested before an offer letter exists

What to do

Never share SSN, banking, or ID photos before you have a signed offer letter on company letterhead and have video-verified the recruiter.

Pattern 05 · Rising in mystery-shopper and assistant roles

Fake check overpayment

high

You're 'hired' as a personal assistant or mystery shopper. A check arrives for more than expected — you're told to deposit it and wire the difference to a vendor. The check bounces a week later, leaving you on the hook.

Example

"I've sent you a $4,200 check for your first week. Please deposit it, keep $800 as your pay, and wire $3,400 to our equipment supplier at the address below."

Red flags

Mailed paper check from a personal address
Asked to wire, Zelle, or send crypto to a third party
'Equipment supplier,' 'vendor,' or 'charity' on the receiving end
Urgency to move money before bank holds clear

What to do

Wait 10 business days for any check to fully clear before moving funds. Real employers don't ask you to forward money on their behalf.

Pattern 06 · Common with FAANG-tier names

Recruiter & company impersonation

high

A scammer copies a real recruiter's LinkedIn photo, mimics the company's email domain (look-alike characters), and runs a full-looking interview process. Everything looks legitimate until the offer comes with an unusual ask.

Example

Email from 'recruiting@goog1e-careers.com' (note the '1' instead of 'l') with a real Google recruiter's name and photo lifted from their public profile.

Red flags

Email domain has substituted characters (rn → m, 0 → o, 1 → l)
Email is @gmail.com but claims to be from a Fortune 500
Recruiter's LinkedIn was created in the last 30 days
Offer letter PDF has no metadata or generic company logo

What to do

Verify the recruiter directly through the company's official site or LinkedIn 'people' search. Reply only to email addresses you find on the company's own domain.

Pattern 07 · Frequent in commission roles

Compensation bait-and-switch

elevated

The posting advertises a base salary of $80–120k. After 3 interviews, the offer turns out to be $0 base + commission, or '1099 contractor with unlimited earning potential.'

Example

Posting: 'Account Executive — $95,000 base + commission'. Offer call: 'It's actually $0 base, but our top reps make $200k+ on commission alone.'

Red flags

'Unlimited earning potential' or 'uncapped commission'
Vague language about base vs. variable
Requires you to buy a starter kit, leads, or training
MLM-style team-building component

What to do

Ask for the comp structure in writing before the first interview. Walk if base salary 'turns out to be' different at offer stage.

Pattern 08 · Used to short-circuit due diligence

Manufactured urgency

elevated

Every step of the process is 'urgent.' You have 24 hours to accept, 1 hour to send your SSN, the role 'starts Monday.' Urgency is the scammer's primary weapon — it stops you from verifying.

Example

"We need your decision in the next 4 hours or we'll move to the next candidate. Please send your bank details now so we can set up direct deposit before the offer expires."

Red flags

Hard deadlines under 48 hours for offer decisions
'Limited spots' or 'first to respond gets the role' language
Refusal to schedule a second call before commitment
Bank or SSN requests with countdown timers

What to do

Real offers stay open for at least a few days. Any pressure to skip verification is itself the red flag — slow down, verify, then decide.

See one we missed?

This library grows from community reports. If you've encountered a new scam pattern, add it to the database — we'll review, categorize, and credit responsibly.

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