Fake work-at-home jobs are not only a waste of your time but also a costly compromiser of your online security. When researching and applying to telecommute jobs, it’s crucial to learn to spot remote job scams and always remain aware of changes in technology that can allow for more sophisticated job scams to slip through your radar.
Even though remote jobs are more prevalent today, remote job scams still crop up to try and steal the identities or monies of virtual jobseekers. To help you conduct a telecommute job search free of remote job scams, we have assembled a list of strategies you can use to be sure every position you apply for is legitimate, and tips on what to do if you’ve fallen victim to one.
How Fraudulent Workers are Scamming Job Boards and Applicants
Remote work scammers are a cunning bunch. Any time these unsavory individuals can find an avenue to make a few bucks or gain valuable personal information, they’ll jump at the opportunity. So how do they do it? Here are some clues that that a listing might be a remote work scam.
The Devil is in the Details (or Grammar)
Many scammers aren’t based in the United States, so their grasp of English grammar may be poor. Misspellings, syntax, and improper verb conjugation are all obvious signs of a remote work scam. In addition, many of these fake companies will overuse keywords, meaning that you’re likely to see “work-from-home” or “work-at-home” repeatedly throughout the job description. Scammers do this not only to entice aspiring remote workers, but also to bring their search results to the top of the search results pages.
Immediate Hires and Unlimited Earning Potential
Another telltale sign of a scam artist is the phrasing used in the job description. While some companies may need urgent hires, you should tread lightly if you’re unfamiliar with the company name. Plus, the phrase “unlimited earning potential” is a surefire indication that the job is probably a fraud. Few jobs have unlimited earning potential, especially ones that also claim to want to hire you without a proper interview or exchange.
Strange Communication Methods or Emails
Scammers have sophisticated methods to obtain your email address and other sensitive information. While you shouldn’t give your email out willy-nilly, you also shouldn’t post your information to social media or other forums. When you do, hackers and spammers can plunder this information, then either use it themselves or sell it to others.
Once they have your email or cell phone number, you may receive some unsolicited job offers. Oftentimes, these emails and texts feature the same over-the-top promises and poor grammar mentioned above. In many instances, these scammers will also use an email address that’s similar to a reputable company. They may also want to hold interviews via chat instead of via video to conceal their identity.
Upfront Costs and Information or Free Work
Most people are wise enough not to give away bank account information or send money to a “company” or “hiring agent.” However, scammers have the art of deception down to a science. They may provide professional emails that seem 100% legitimate. In addition, they may want you to fill out fake “background checks” or “direct deposit information,” which end up providing them with sensitive information such as your address, birth date, and even your Social Security number.
12 Strategies for Investigating Suspected Remote Job Scams
Spotting remote job scams is crucial in today’s online job market. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, but with the right knowledge, you can easily recognize red flags before it’s too late. Here are 12 effective strategies to help you identify and avoid remote job scams so you can focus on finding legitimate opportunities.
1. Search for Reviews
Many virtual companies rely on good reviews to help legitimize their services or products. Reviews help customers and potential employees discover what makes each company unique. They can also help you spot a shell company masquerading as a great opportunity.
Search for reviews on popular sites such as Google and LinkedIn. If your query does not yield search results about the employer, this could be a bad sign. Although some small businesses do not have a particularly large online presence, you should be able to find at least some trace of their business if they operate within the remote space. Additionally, if you see many reviews claiming a job or business is a scam, avoid applying before you can verify the position.
2. Keep the Better Business Bureau in Your Bookmarks
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) collects data about businesses including claims of fraudulent activities from businesses. Their Scam Tracker webpage is a great resource to use as a reference check when you want to apply for remote jobs online. In addition to monitoring scams, the BBB also verifies businesses in their database and assigns letter grade scores based on customer feedback, complaints, and reviews. If a business has a favorable rating on the BBB site, you can trust that it is a real business.
3. Never Give Information Up Front
You apply to what seems like the perfect remote job, only to be asked in a follow-up email to send information like your Social Security number, bank information, and full address. Don’t do it!
Unfortunately, hackers, scammers, and criminals all across the internet use this tactic to lure unsuspecting jobseekers into a web of identity theft. Guard your information cautiously. You should not be asked to provide sensitive personal information until you have interviewed with and been hired by a legitimate company. Typically, information requests like these are required when filling out tax forms or completing paperwork for a background check. In the case of a background check, you can often provide the last four digitals of your Social instead of the full number.
4. Be Suspicious of Email Addresses Without a Clear Company Name
Reputation and branding are weighed very heavily in the remote work world. If you come across a business that emails you with a personal email from Hushmail or FastMail, you should give pause. Although some newer companies do use personal emails to conduct business, especially via Outlook or Gmail, they should be able to provide you with at least one company email domain address or contact.
Additionally, if the email username has a long string of numbers attached, it could be a fake account used for criminal activity. There are also scammers who pretend to be from a well-known business. You can spot a fake by going to the real company website and searching for the contact email address or an address of a member of the executive team. If the company address does not match that of the person emailing you, it is likely your “potential employer” is attempting to scam you.
5. Ask for a Link to Their Website
There may be times, even when following many of the strategies on how to spot remote job scams, when you still are not sure if a job is real. Usually, companies provide a link to their website within their company signature, but failing to do so could signal a red flag.
If you have a hunch but want to gain more information, ask for a link to the company’s website. A respectable company should have no problem providing you with a place to view more information about their work. If your request is refused, you should refuse any further contact with the employer.
Did you know Virtual Vocations makes it simple to research legitimate remote employers? Visit the Remote Companies Database for profiles of more than 15,000 companies known for hiring professionals to work from home.
6. Verify the Legitimacy of Their Company Website
Once you do visit the website of a potential employer, review it with a critical eye. If the web pages contain a variety of misspelled words, strange formatting or use a familiar company name like Best Buy or Apple, but do not offer the standard branding you are familiar with, they are likely part of a spoofed site.
Some scammers use real business names and information from company websites to trick people into believing the fake company is legitimate. This tactic is used against jobseekers and customers who fill out applications for or buy products from potentially dangerous hackers.
The new standard for websites is increased security for web addresses. If you find a site with a URL that shows “HTTP” instead of “HTTPS,” it could be less secure. This doesn’t necessarily mean the business is fake, but inputting your information into forms on non-HTTPS websites could, at least, put your personal data at greater risk of a breach.
7. Read All Job Requirements Carefully
One of the major giveaways of a job posting scam is the quality of the job description and requirements. When examining a job posting, remember the adage “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”
- Look for details about what your daily responsibilities will be
- Job postings should include information about the company and how the role fits within the larger services offered by the business
- Details about education, experience, and skills should be addressed as well
If you find a bare minimum posting with a number of short, awkward sentences with errors throughout, do not engage. It is not worth continuing to pursue this opportunity as it is most likely an example of a remote job scam.
8. Stay Away from Interviews Conducted via Instant Messaging
Although technology has advanced in amazing ways, making it possible for employers and jobseekers to connect using a variety of online platforms such as video, messaging and cloud-based document sharing, during the interview process, it is standard to speak over the phone, through a legitimate company email or through video. If a potential employer wants to interview through IM on Google Chat (with no video), this is a bad sign. Some scammers even reach out via LinkedIn messaging, pretending to be from a company they are not. Consider researching the person who contacted you or the company more thoroughly before you continue with the interview process.
9. Trust Your Instincts
There is no substitute for intuition. Although you may not have all the information to be sure a job posting is a fake, if something feels off to you, it most likely is. You must learn to trust your gut instinct. In the virtual space you are operating in a wonderful space of opportunity that allows for more equality and rewards based on performance over appearance. However, this environment also allows people to hide behind digital masks and commit fraud more easily.
Your experience will help teach you when you should block an email account or investigate a company more before doing business with them. It is often the small subtle hints that give scammers away, so don’t ignore that feeling.
10. Ask Questions
Asking questions is an excellent way to poke holes in a potential scam. If the job poster cannot or will not answer reasonable questions about the company, their products, services, or the job posting itself, this is a sign it isn’t a real opportunity. If anything about the company structure or website is questionable, you have every right to inquire about these details. A legitimate employer will appreciate you asking questions to find out if you are a good fit throughout the hiring process. If your questions are not answered or answered vaguely with no follow-up, it’s likely not a business you want to move forward with.
11. Report the Scam
The remote work world is a community of professionals who share a common digital space as our office. It is our shared responsibility to let others know about scams and help our fellow remote jobseekers avoid the dangers of remote job scams. When you come across a fake posting, alert the site you saw it posted on and report the scam to the BBB. You can help get these postings removed and limit criminal activity impacting jobseekers. (More on this below!)
12. Subscribe to a Respected Virtual Job Source
If you wonder how you’ll find legitimate opportunities for rewarding virtual work without the hassle of sorting through potential remote job scams, Virtual Vocations is your solution. Utilizing Virtual Vocations during your job search eliminates the stress associated with sorting through remote job scams. Each and every one of the thousands of job postings published to our Remote Jobs Database has been vetted by our trained, experienced staff. We also work directly with Employer Partners to help you secure the perfect job to fit your skills and schedule.
What You Should Do if You’re the Victim of a Remote Work Scam
Before discussing what to do if you’re a victim of a remote work scam, remember to always trust your gut instinct. If something feels off, your intuition is probably spot on. Unfortunately for some, the damage may already be done. In that case, you’re probably embarrassed and scared about identity theft or your financial well-being. While these circumstances are far less than ideal, you can take a few steps to ensure you minimize the after-effects and ensure that the same remote work scams don’t happen to your fellow aspiring telecommuters.
Alert the Job Site
As soon as you suspect a fraudulent job listing or a scammer, your first step is to alert the job board. Many job boards have a support email that will remove the listing after an investigation. If you happen to find a scam or questionable job listing on Virtual Vocations, send an email to customerservice@virtualvocations.com and explain the issue in as much detail as possible.
Report Fake or Phishing Websites to Authorities
While you can’t report a fake or phishing website directly to Google or Bing, you can send reports to the FTC, the IC3, and the BBB (listed below). You may also want to file a report with regional fraud offices in your area. If a monetary transaction takes place, file a police report immediately. A slim chance may exist for you to recoup your money. At the very least, you’ve done everything in your power to reduce the chance for others to fall for similar scams.
Send a Report to the Federal Trade Commission
Tasked with protecting American consumers and jobseekers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a process that allows you to file a complaint. By filing a complaint, you can make sure that the company shows up on the radar of federal law enforcement agencies. Simply fill out the online form, and the FTC will file the complaint and investigate it. This may help you from falling victim to identity theft, as well as others.
File a Report With the Internet Crime Complaint Center
In partnership with the FBI, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) allows concerned consumers to file a report. By logging onto the IC3 website, you can file a complaint as a victim or as a third party. Either way, you’ll have to provide some information, including:
- Whether you gave money to the scammer
- The nature of your victimization/what was said or done
- Your name and contact information
- Any information on the scammer (email, wire transfer information, etc.)
After receiving this information, IC3 develops leads on scams and notifies local, state, federal, and international authorities about fraudulent or illegal activity.
Contact the Better Business Bureau
Most scam businesses don’t have an account with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). But if you’re a bit lucky, you can find the company name and any other complaints from the past. When filing a report with the BBB, you’ll need some basic information on the incident. This may include where the business is located, the nature of the victimization, and any other information about the scam artist. Once filed, the BBB will give the company up to 30 days to respond based on two requests. The BBB offers no guarantees of finding out the guilty culprit or being able to assist. But you can give people yet another way to avoid the same scenario.
Post Warnings to Company Review Websites
Many job boards and company review websites allow you to post an anonymous review of a company. While some might abuse this out of retribution (firing or disagreement with management), you can use this to warn other jobseekers. By logging onto websites such as Glassdoor, you can give a review of the company and how you were victimized. Again, many of these scammers probably aren’t on Glassdoor. But if you find them, a quick review can save others money, time, and mental anguish.
Stay Vigilant and Confident: Secure Your Ideal Remote Job by Outsmarting Scammers
Don’t let remote job scams ruin your online job search. There are thousands of verified telecommute opportunities out there. You can find your dream job without having to stick to the traditional nine-to-five office position. Once you implement the strategies we’ve outlined above, you can feel empowered to search for remote jobs with confidence knowing you have the upper hand on scammers.
Find Scam-Free Remote Jobs: Explore Vetted Opportunities with Virtual Vocations
Unfortunately, many large-scale job boards don’t have the resources to screen every employer or job listing. But that’s when you should turn to Virtual Vocations. With over 15,000 vetted job opportunities, you don’t have to worry about becoming the victim of a scam. Plus, you just might find that perfect remote job you’ve been searching for.
Have you encountered remote job scams while searching for a work-at-home job? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!
Original 2018 and 2020 articles written by Skye Rodgers and Eric Schad.
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