Threats

For many job seekers, avoiding scams has become one of the biggest hurdles when navigating today's job market.

The rise of remote work has only made it easier for threat actors to exploit eager job seekers. In fact, recent surveys show that 25% of people have fallen victim to job scams at least once, while 45% say recognizing and avoiding these fraudulent offers is one of the greatest challenges in their job search.

A Note on Common Job Scams in the Cybersecurity Industry:

When applying for a career at Packetlabs, please note that legitimate jobs at Packetlabs will be found only on our website (packetlabs.net) and via our official LinkedIn page.

Be aware that we never ask candidates for personal information such as personal identification, or banking information during the interview process. We do not interview prospective candidates via instant message or group chat, do not require candidates to purchase products or services, and do not request that candidates process payments on our behalf as a condition of any employment offer.

For further information–or if you feel you may have been targeted by a recruitment fraud related to Packetlabs–please contact our hiring team at info@packetlabs.net.

Beyond sharing legitimate job opportunities, we want to equip you with the knowledge you need to stay safe. In this guide, we break down 30 of the newest and most prevalent employment scams, from fake training fees to phishing schemes. 

Additionally, our ethical hackers cover practical job search safety tips–and what to do if you feel you may have already been the target of a job scam.

30 Common Job Scams in 2025

Job scams come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one goal: to take advantage of job seekers. Whether it’s stealing your personal information, draining your bank account, or exploiting your time for little to no pay, scammers rely on deception to get what they want.

Knowing the warning signs can help you avoid scams and protect yourself throughout your job search. That’s why we’re highlighting 30 of the most common job scams.

1. Company Impersonation Scams

Scammers increasingly create completely fabricated companies or job listings to deceive job seekers. 

They build convincing websites, craft realistic job descriptions, and even develop fake employee profiles. Taking deception even further, some use AI to generate highly realistic job postings and company websites that appear authentic but aren’t.

Victims are often tricked into completing lengthy applications and onboarding steps or asked to pay fees to apply, secure a spot on a candidate list, or submit sensitive personal information, only to discover the job is fake, leading to financial loss or identity theft.

2. Job Board Impersonation Scams

These scams arise when fraudsters pose as well-known companies or job boards. They will often use look-alike email addresses, cloned websites, or fraudulent job postings. They might create “application portals” where job seekers are required to enter personal information or upload sensitive documents.

For example, a real company website might have the address companyname.com. But when you’re looking at the fake website, the address is company-name.com.

Even subtle changes like the example above allow scammers to exploit the reputation of legitimate brands. By doing this, they can gain the trust of job seekers and extract sensitive details, bank information, or payments for fake training or equipment.

3. Ghost Jobs

Ghost job listings are advertisements for positions that don’t actually exist. Companies might post these listings to collect resumes for future hiring needs, gauge market interest, or maintain the appearance of growth. 

While some postings may serve legitimate business purposes, ghost jobs can be a significant time-waster for job seekers.

4. Impersonating Colleges and Universities

Threat actors may target students by posing as university employment centers or faculty members. They send messages about enticing job offers, tricking victims into sharing sensitive information or cashing fraudulent checks. 

These scams prey on students’ trust in their academic institutions and often result in financial loss or identity theft.

5. Phishing Scams

Phishing scams typically use emails, text messages, or websites to trick job seekers into providing personal information. These communications often appear to come from reputable companies, offering enticing job opportunities or requesting urgent verification of details.

Falling victim to these scams can lead to identity theft or financial loss. Job seekers should always be cautious about sharing contact details online and avoid clicking on unsolicited links.

6. Upfront Fees and Payment Requests

Hackers often lure job seekers with seemingly legitimate opportunities but insist on upfront payments for training, specialized software, or essential equipment. Once the payment is made, the promised items never arrive, and the job offer turns out to be fake.

In some cases, these schemes disguise themselves as multilevel marketing (MLM) opportunities or remote roles requiring special tools. Remember: real employers will never ask you to pay to start a job.

7. Too-Good-to-Be-True Jobs

These scams promise extraordinary pay for minimal work, like earning thousands of dollars weekly for part-time effort. Often, the job responsibilities are vague, and scammers use the lure of unrealistic earnings to request upfront fees or sensitive information.

8. Unsolicited Job Offer Scams

Unsolicited job offers are a red flag. Threat actors may claim they found your resume online and skip the typical hiring steps, like interviews, to rush into onboarding. 

Their real goal? To extract sensitive information or payment as part of the hiring process. 

9. Job Interview Scams

Scammers may invite victims to fake interviews conducted through messaging apps or phone calls. These interviews often include requests for banking details, personal information, or payments for materials. 

Legitimate companies always verify their roles and do not request money during the hiring process, as stated on the Packetlabs Careers portal.

10. Fake Recruiters

Hackers pretend to be recruiters from reputable companies, often using polished profiles on professional networking sites like LinkedIn. They conduct believable interviews and extend seemingly legitimate job offers.

After gaining the victim’s trust, they request personal details or ask for payments to cover equipment or shipping costs. Victims of these recruiting scams are either charged for fake invoices or left without reimbursement.

11. ATS-Compliant “Services”

Scammers pose as recruiters and claim that job seekers’ resumes need to meet applicant tracking system (ATS) standards before they can be considered for roles.

No matter how many revisions are made, the scammers insist resumes are noncompliant and direct job seekers to a paid service. These services are fraudulent, and the supposed job openings never exist.

12. Staffing Agency Scams

Fake staffing agencies promise job placements in exchange for upfront fees. 

Once payment is made, job seekers either receive no job leads or are provided with fake or irrelevant opportunities.

13. Job Board Scams

Even reputable job boards can host fraudulent postings, as scammers exploit their credibility. Victims might unknowingly apply for fake job postings and be asked for personal details or payment.

14. LinkedIn Scams

Fraudsters exploit LinkedIn’s professional image to impersonate hiring managers or recruiters. They may offer high-paying positions but eventually request personal information or upfront fees under the guise of application processing or training.

15. Social Media Recruitment Scams

Platforms like Facebook, RedNote, Instagram, and TikTok are not immune to scammers, who use flashy ads to lure job seekers. These posts often lead to phishing websites or require upfront fees. Affiliate marketing scams are particularly common here, falsely advertising easy, passive-income opportunities that never deliver.

Scammers also pose as recruiters or high-level executives on social media and messaging platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp. They entice job seekers with appealing job offers, only to steal personal information or recruit them into pyramid-style MLM schemes disguised as legitimate employment opportunities.

16. Messaging App Scams

Job scams on messaging platforms, such as Telegram or WhatsApp job scams, are all too common. Scammers send unsolicited job offers through these apps, often promising high-paying work with flexible hours.

These messages often lead to identity theft or financial loss, as victims are pressured to provide personal information or make payments. To avoid job text scams, proceed with caution if you receive an unsolicited message offering work. Request a phone call from the contact, and do your research to see if the results yield any red flags.

17. Pyramid Scheme Scams

Pyramid schemes operate under the pretense of legitimate business opportunities but focus on recruiting new participants, rather than providing actual work. 

Earnings depend on recruiting others, and these illegal hiring scams collapse once recruitment slows, leaving most participants with significant losses.

18. Gamified Task Scams

These scams lure victims with promises of easy income for simple online tasks, such as “liking” content or reviewing products. Initially, small payouts may be made to gain trust. Eventually, victims are asked to pay upfront fees or share sensitive information for “premium” tasks. 

Once they comply, they lose money or fall victim to data theft.

19. Reshipping Job Scams

Scammers hire victims to receive and forward packages, claiming it’s part of a legitimate logistics or quality control role. Unbeknownst to participants, these packages often contain stolen goods. 

Reshipping scam victims risk being unknowingly involved in criminal activity, with no real payment provided for their work.

20. Data Entry Job Scams

Fraudulent data entry jobs promise simple tasks with high pay, sometimes even advertising six-figure salaries for entry-level roles. Victims are typically asked to pay for training or software, but once payment is made, the job either doesn’t exist or pays far less than promised.

There are legitimate data entry jobs out there, but they do not advertise extravagant wages, and they do not require initial funds.

21. Mystery Shopper Job Scams

Mystery shopper scams promise payment for reviewing products or services but often require participants to pay for instructions or memberships. Victims may also receive counterfeit checks, instructed to deposit them and wire money back, only to lose funds when the checks bounce.

While legitimate mystery shopper jobs do exist, they never ask for upfront fees. Before accepting a role as a mystery shopper, thoroughly research the hiring organization to distinguish real job opportunities from fake ones.

22. Fake Cryptocurrency Exchanges or Ponzi Schemes

Scammers set up fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms or investment schemes, hiring unsuspecting individuals to operate them. These operations either draw funds directly from users or pay early investors with money from new participants until the scheme collapses.

Employees may find themselves jobless and even face legal consequences for their unknowing involvement.

23. Fake Post Office Jobs

These scams advertise government jobs, like post office roles, and charge application or training fees. 

In reality, these positions either don’t exist or can be applied for directly through official government websites at no cost.

24. Envelope Stuffing Job Scams

Victims are promised significant income for simple tasks, such as stuffing envelopes at home. 

However, these roles often require payment for a starter kit or instructions. Participants quickly realize that the job either doesn’t exist or pays far less than advertised, making it a waste of time and money.

25. Rebate Processor Job Scams

Rebate processing jobs mislead job seekers by promising high income in exchange for processing rebates at home. A nonrefundable “training” fee is usually required to get started as a rebate processor.

Instead of processing rebates, this job involves creating ads for various products and posting them on the internet. A small commission is earned when someone buys the products, part of which is sent back to the buyer as a rebate.

26. Assembling Crafts/Products Job Scams

Work-at-home assembly jobs have been around for a long time. Most companies offering these positions require you to pay an enrollment fee and purchase all supplies and materials from them as well.

The catch is that companies are known to reject finished products regardless of how closely they match the sample finished product. Or, you have to buy a list of companies looking for your assembly services. Once you pay for the list, however, you rarely find the work you thought you would.

27. Wire Transfer Scams

Popular among thieves, wire transfer scams move money quickly from one account to another. These transactions are difficult to reverse, making it nearly impossible to recover lost funds. Although sometimes the request for a money transfer may seem legitimate, it should always be thoroughly checked out.

Scammers have been known to pose as company executives and ask employees to fraudulently transfer money from one account to another.

28. Fake VPN Scams

In these scams, victims are instructed to download a specific VPN application as a supposed job requirement. The software, however, is actually malware designed to steal personal information, monitor online activity, or reroute internet traffic through malicious servers. This can result in identity theft or unauthorized access to sensitive systems, such as banking accounts.

29. Google Doc Scams

A lesser-known scam includes inviting you to or mentioning you in a Google Doc that you wouldn’t normally use. The name may or may not be someone you know, and the title of the doc may look legit.

However, pay close attention to the email used to send the document and any links that may be included. These scams typically provide a link for you to click on to “start earning now.”

30. Career Advancement Grants

This scam is geared toward job seekers who may want or need to gain extra education or certifications for their careers. 

You’ll typically receive an email asking you to apply online for a career advancement grant that supposedly comes from the government and can be directly deposited into your account if approved.

How to Identify Job Scams and Fake Job Postings

While threat actors  use various tactics, such as those above, there are some clear warning signs that can help you identify fraudulent job opportunities.

Job scams are likely to become even more prevalent in the future, so it’s critical that professionals across all industries tay aware and informed. Especially when it comes to remote job searching, the best defense is to stick to well-known and secure job boards, confirm the legitimacy of job postings and companies hiring, and stay up to date with the warning signs of employment scams.

Periodic, in-depth Employee Awareness Programs that include job scam-related best practices is highly recommended. 

1. Red Flags in Job Postings

Scam job listings often include specific phrases or tactics to lure in unsuspecting job seekers. Watch out for:

• Too-good-to-be-true promises: Phrases like “quick money,” “unlimited earning potential,” or “free work-from-home jobs” are often used to attract attention

• Sense of urgency: Scammers may pressure you to accept a job offer immediately—a practice no legitimate employer follows

• Grammatical or spelling errors: Poorly written job posts or emails are a common sign of scams.

• No verification process: If a recruiter doesn’t verify your work experience, references, or qualifications, the opportunity is likely not legitimate

• Vague job descriptions: Look out for posts with little to no detail about the role or responsibilities

• Upfront costs: Legitimate companies will never ask you to pay for training, equipment, or any other expenses

• Exaggerated pay claims: Be cautious of jobs that promise high salaries for minimal effort

• Celebrity endorsements: Claims that public figures endorse the company or product can indicate a scam

• “Rags-to-riches” stories: Marketing a job with success stories designed to sell you on unrealistic outcomes is a sign to exercise caution

• Unverifiable company name: A corporate search (for example, this tool based out of the United States) may reveal the company doesn't exist. If it does exist, verify that the names on the corporate profile match the social media or job profile

2. Red Flags on Social Media

Social platforms are increasingly being used to target job seekers. Be wary of:

• Suspicious comments or messages: Unrelated comments on posts or direct messages claiming “amazing opportunities” are likely scams

• Personal feeds sharing job listings: Posts without clear ties to a verified company or recruiter can indicate fraud

• Interviews on social media: It’s rare to conduct an interview and secure a job with a legitimate company through a social media or chat platform

3. Red Flags During the Interview Process

During the interview stage, stay alert for these warning signs:

• Short or rushed interviews: A legitimate interview typically involves detailed questions about your skills and background

• No live interaction: If the entire recruiting or screening process is conducted through text or email without speaking to a person, it’s a red flag

• Requests for money or personal information: No employer should ask for sensitive details, like your social security number or bank account information, during an interview.

• Unidentified company: If the interviewer refuses to provide details about the company, it’s likely a scam

• Quick job offers: Offers made without due diligence, like background checks or interviews, are highly suspicious

• Recruitment-based pay: Unless it’s actually a commission-based recruiting job, most jobs that base your income on how many people you recruit into the company are often pyramid schemes

4 Ways to Protect Yourself From Job Scams in 2025

There are many ways to stay safe during your job search. Sticking to these four tips will help you avoid job scams and focus on finding legitimate opportunities.

1. Research Companies Thoroughly

Before engaging with a job listing or recruiter, take time to research the company. Look for a professional website, check their social media presence, and verify the contact information provided. If the company’s name doesn’t appear in online searches or has no reviews on trustworthy sites, that’s a red flag.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to former employees on LinkedIn or check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for any complaints filed against the organization. It can also be helpful to search “[Company Name] + scam.”

2. Safeguard Your Personal Information

Protecting your personal details is essential during a job search. Never provide sensitive information, such as your social security number, bank account details, or a copy of your ID, until you’ve verified the job and company.

Be cautious about sharing personal details during the application process, especially if you’re asked to provide information that doesn’t seem relevant to the role.

3. Never Send Money for a Job

A legitimate employer will never ask you to pay for training, equipment, or other expenses upfront. If you’re asked to transfer funds, buy materials, or cover onboarding fees, it’s likely a scam.

Be wary of requests for payment through unconventional methods, such as cryptocurrency or gift cards. Scammers often use this tactic to make their transactions untraceable.

4. Trust Your Instincts

If something feels off about a job listing or communication, trust your instincts. Scammers often prey on desperation or excitement, but taking a step back to assess the situation can prevent you from being taken advantage of.

Ask yourself: Does the job seem too good to be true? Is the communication professional and consistent? If you have doubts, it’s better to walk away than take the risk.

What to Do If You Are a Victim of a Job Scam: 5 Steps to Take

Discovering that you’ve been scammed can be overwhelming, but it’s important to act quickly to minimize the damage. Here are five steps to take if you’ve been scammed to prevent further harm.

Step 1: Stop All Communication

Cease all contact with the scammer immediately. Whether they’ve reached out via email, phone, or social media, block them to prevent further communication. Avoid engaging further, as scammers may attempt to manipulate or pressure you into giving more money or information.

Step 2: Secure Your Accounts

If you’ve shared sensitive information, such as your social security number, bank account details, or login credentials, act fast to secure your accounts. Change your passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and contact your bank to flag suspicious activity. For social security concerns, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your file.

Step 3: Report the Scam

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report fraud. You can also report the scam to your local authorities and, if applicable, the job board or platform where you found the listing. Reporting helps authorities track down scammers and prevent others from falling victim to the same scheme.

Step 4: Monitor Your Credit and Finances

If you’ve shared any personal or financial information, keep a close eye on your credit reports and financial accounts for any unauthorized transactions. If you suspect identity theft, consider enrolling in credit monitoring or identity theft protection services for additional peace of mind.

Step 5: Educate Yourself and Share Your Experience

Learning from the experience can empower you and help others avoid similar scams. Familiarize yourself with common fraud tactics and share your story on trusted platforms to raise awareness. By speaking up, you contribute to a safer job search environment for everyone.

Conclusion

Even the most savvy of professionals can be the target of a sophisticated job scam. 

Looking to identify risks before they become headlines? Contact the Packetlabs team today.