Deepak Gupta

Jobs and income · Also called fake job offer, hiring scam, recruiter impersonation, fake job listing, employment scam

Fake recruiter and hiring scam

A fake recruiter scam is a job offer from someone posing as a recruiter or employer, often through a job board, text, or messaging app. After a quick online interview they offer you the job, then ask for your Social Security number and bank details, or for money for training, equipment, or background checks, and then disappear.

How it works

Criminals post fake openings on job boards, copy real company websites, or contact people directly by text, email, or messaging app.
They hold a short interview by chat or a teleconference app and quickly offer a job, often working from home.
They ask for your driver's licence, Social Security number, and bank or card details, sometimes with a contract to sign.
They may ask you to pay up front for training, equipment, or background checks, promising to repay you in your first paycheck, then stop replying.

Red flags

A recruiter contacts you out of the blue by text or messaging app.
The interview is held only by chat or a teleconference app, and the employer uses an email address that is not on the company's domain.
You are asked to pay for training, equipment, supplies, or a background check before you start.
The employer wants your Social Security number or bank or card details before you have been properly hired.
The job is on a job board but not on the company's own website.

If you are targeted

Stop contact, and do not send money or any more personal information.
If you paid, contact your bank or payment provider straight away and ask it to stop or reverse the payment.
If you shared your Social Security number or ID, report it at IdentityTheft.gov in the US and watch your accounts and credit reports.
Report it. Our Report a scam page lists where to report in your country, such as ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.
Tell the job site where the listing appeared and the company whose name was used.

Where to report, by country

Prevention

For individuals

Know that the FTC says honest employers, including the government, will never ask you to pay to get a job.
Check the job on the company's own website and contact recruiters using details you found yourself.
Share your Social Security number and bank details only after you are hired, ideally in person or on a video call with someone you have verified.

For organisations

Employers can list every opening on their own website and state that they never charge candidates fees or ask for payment details before hiring.
Job boards can verify recruiter profiles and remove listings that copy real companies.

By the numbers

Figures are for the reporting category this scam falls under, not this scam alone.

Employment scam losses reported to the FBI IC3 in 2025	$362.9M	US, 2025, FBI IC3
Job and employment agency scam losses reported to the FTC in 2024	$501M	US, 2024, FTC

Real cases

No documented case in the atlas yet. New cases are added as they are sourced.

Delivered through: Email phishing, SMS phishing (smishing)

How official datasets classify it

FBI IC3: Employment
FTC: Job Scams & Employment Agencies
Scamwatch: Jobs and employment scams

Questions

How do I know if a job offer is a scam?: Warning signs include an unexpected approach, an interview held only by chat, requests to pay for training or equipment, and requests for your Social Security or bank details before you are hired. Check the job on the company's own website.
Should a new employer ask me to pay for equipment or training?: No. The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job. Promises to repay you in your first paycheck are a common part of the scam.