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Sarah landed the perfect remote job–or so she thought. The recruiter seemed friendly and professional, the onboarding process seemed to go without a hitch, and she even signed her contract of employment. She even announced “I’m delighted to accept an offer working for XYZ company” on LinkedIn.
But it didn’t take long before it all started to unravel.
Sarah’s paycheck never arrived. She reached out to contact HR for support but they were non-conversant. Worse, Sarah was horrified to discover her personal information had likely been stolen.
Although Sarah is only a figurative person, you might recognize your story in hers, or know someone who has experienced the same, if not worse, within the past year. If so, you’re not alone.
In 2024, the number of job scams quadrupled from the prior year (2023), totaling 20,000 scam reports, according to recent data from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Job-seekers lost a staggering “more than $220 million in just the first six months of 2024,” and “overall reported losses on job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023,” the report states.
Scammers are getting more sophisticated in their tactics, using AI-generated videos, deepfakes, fake job postings, and fake websites that impersonate and look eerily similar to a genuine website you might already be familiar with, to trick you into handing over your personal data and access your money.
What’s Driving The Increase In Remote Job Scams?
Demand for remote work has spiked to an all-time high, especially since major companies like Amazon have enforced RTO mandates, and particularly under the new Trump administration which sees remote-eligible federal workers forced to work in person at the office or leave their jobs. More companies have followed suit and told their employees that if they want to continue their jobs they must work in the office for more days of the week, with some requiring full-time office attendance.
Additionally, the use of technology and AI tools is a two-edged sword. While it can be used to a positive advantage from a recruiter’s and job-seeker’s point of view, it can be misused to cause harm and negatively impact honest professionals looking for their next remote job. More professionals looking for jobs online and desperately waiting for their next opportunity can unfortunately attract bloodthirsty “sharks” looking for their next victim.
So how do you arm yourself and stay protected while searching for remote jobs online? How do you know when an opportunity is genuine and when it’s not? How do you know if a head-hunter is a real or fake recruiter?
30 Remote Job Scams In 2025
The first step is awareness of what the scams actually look like. Thankfully, FlexJobs, a leading job board for flexible and remote jobs, just released their list of 30 most common remote job scams so that you can be safe when looking for remote work:
- Fake jobs and companies (research the experiences of others who’ve worked there; if there are only positive reviews with little substance, be cautious as these could be fake; if there are no reviews, do not proceed at all)
- Job board impersonations (check the URL carefully and compare with an independent Google search of the job board, then review the URL separately)
- Ghost jobs
- Impersonating colleges and universities
- Phishing scams
- Upfront fees and payment requests
- Too-good-to-be-true jobs (if it’s too good to be true, it isn’t good at all)
- Unsolicited job offers
- Job interview scams
- Fake recruiters
- ATS-compliant “services”
- Fake staffing agency
- Fake job boards
- LinkedIn scams
- Fraudulent social media recruitment
- Messaging app scams (a real recruiter will never reach out to you on WhatsApp)
- Remote pyramid marketing schemes
- Gamified tasks
- Reshipping jobs
- Data entry scams
- Mystery shoppers
- Fake cryptocurrency exchanges or ponzi schemes
- Fake government jobs
- Envelope stuffing
- Rebate processor
- Assembling crafts/products
- Fake wire transfers
- Fake VPNs
- Google Doc scams: inviting or mentioning
- Career advancement grants
Always research an employer before and during the application process
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How To Protect Yourself From Remote Job Scams In 2025
Oscar Rodriguez, LinkedIn’s vice president of product management, has a few helpful tips to share for a safe job search while looking for remote jobs:
“Work is changing rapidly, and our members are telling us they’re feeling overwhelmed,” he says, speaking of job-seekers on the LinkedIn platform. “We know that job searching can be an intense and vulnerable time for people. If you’re at the point in your career where you’re ready to look for a new job, it’s important to take a moment to think about if you trust the opportunity you’re applying for. Take a beat to check out information about the job, who’s posting it, and what they’re asking you to share. Here’s what you need to know:
“1. Check for verified information on job postings. A verification badge on a job posting means there is verified information about the company or job poster. This includes if the poster is affiliated with an official company page, has verified their association with a particular workplace, or has verified their identity through one of our identity verification partners.
“2. Take care with what you share. Consider what personal information you are being asked for. Never give out bank details before the onboarding process.
“3. Say no to suspicious requests. Scammers can use tactics that legitimate employers wouldn’t, like asking you to download encrypted software for an interview or offering jobs with high pay for little work. Job offers after just one remote interview is very rarely a legitimate deal. You can report spam and inappropriate content.
“4. Enable message warnings. Consider enabling LinkedIn’s optional automated detection of harmful content, which may detect potentially harmful scams.
“5. Look for red flags. Be cautious of job postings that sound too good to be true or require upfront payments. Common scams include roles like mystery shopper, company impersonator, or personal assistant. Additionally, be wary of anyone asking you to send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or to invest.
6. Finally, if you’re using LinkedIn as part of your job search strategy, ensure you “filter by jobs with verification”, Rodriguez advises. “You can now filter your job search to show only jobs with verifications. The filter allows you to search exclusively for jobs posted by companies with a verified LinkedIn Page and current job posters associated with those companies. When toggled on, only jobs with these verifications will appear in your search results, and the filter will be visible in the search header,” he says.
Trust your instinct and never rush into a decision because you’re desperate for a job
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Remote Job Scam FAQs
How do I spot a scam?
If you get contacted out of the blue, there are typos or misspellings in the message or email, you are approached via WhatsApp, or you are pressured to book an interview slot, it’s a scam. If you’re asked to make a payment upfront, act quickly, or provide your Social Security number, financial information, or other personal information, these are red flags.
How to not fall for job scams?
The best way to ensure you protect yourself from remote job scams is to conduct thorough research. Don’t just send out your resume to any company that looks like it checks your boxes at first glance. Ensure you know who you’re applying to–this works in your favor when it’s time for the job interview as your answers will be tailored to the values and vision of the company, and it also works in your favor because it protects you from “employers” that don’t really exist.
Trust your instincts and if something doesn’t feel right, follow your gut. And of course, talk to others who have worked at the company or currently work at there.