What are the best steps to take if you receive a fake job offer?
Receiving a job offer can be exhilarating — especially when you’ve been searching for work — but scammers use that excitement to push people into quick decisions. Below are practical, prioritized steps to protect your money and identity, plus recovery actions if you’ve already paid or shared sensitive information. In my work advising clients on fraud recovery, I’ve seen how fast losses compound when people act under pressure; following a clear process slows the scam and preserves options.
Immediate verification steps (do these before responding)
- Pause and collect evidence
- Save all emails, text messages, attachments, job postings, and screenshots of chat conversations. Capture headers for suspicious emails (these show the sender’s true server).
- Note dates, amounts paid (if any), payment methods used (gift cards, wire transfers, prepaid cards), and the recruiter’s contact details.
- Confirm the company’s hiring page and contact HR directly
- Visit the company’s official website (not a link provided in the email). Search for the job on the company’s careers page. If you can’t find the listing, call the company’s published HR or main phone number and ask whether the recruiter and role are legitimate.
- Look for mismatches: a legitimate corporate recruiter will use a company email address (e.g., jane.doe@company.com), not a free account like Gmail.
- Inspect the communication closely
- Check the email domain, grammar and formatting, and whether the message asks for money, bank routing numbers, or your Social Security number early in the process. Legitimate employers rarely request payment or financial account details before employment paperwork processed through secure systems.
- Use reverse-image search on logos and profile photos to detect copied brand assets.
- Cross-check recruiter identity
- If the message claims to be from a recruiter on LinkedIn, view the recruiter’s profile for connections, posts, and company affiliation. Contact the company through an independent channel to confirm the person works there.
If the offer asks for money or unusual payments: do not pay
- Never pay for training materials, background checks, “security deposits,” or equipment directly to a recruiter or to a third-party individual. Scammers prefer untraceable payment methods like gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
- Legitimate background checks are usually handled through established vendors and invoiced to the employer — not the candidate.
If you’ve given money or sensitive data: immediate recovery steps
- Contact your bank or card issuer
- Report the fraud to your bank, credit card, or payment service immediately and ask for a fraud investigation or chargeback. Time matters; quick reporting improves your chance of recovery.
- Freeze or monitor accounts
- Change passwords and enable multifactor authentication on email and financial accounts.
- Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to prevent new accounts being opened in your name. You can start at AnnualCreditReport.gov for free credit reports.
- Report the scam to authorities and platforms
- Report to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC). File an Internet Crime Complaint with the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov if you’ve lost money. Also report to your state attorney general and the job platform or marketplace where the listing appeared.
- Use IdentityTheft.gov to build a recovery plan
- The FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov creates a personalized recovery plan and can help you get an Identity Theft Affidavit and file a police report. This documentation helps with disputing fraudulent transactions and accounts.
- If your Social Security number was exposed
- Consider placing an extended fraud alert and contacting the Social Security Administration (ssa.gov) if you suspect SSN misuse. Also consider applying for an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) if you are at risk of tax-related identity theft.
Practical reporting checklist
- File complaints with:
- The FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov)
- The FBI IC3 (ic3.gov)
- Your state attorney general’s consumer protection office
- The job board or marketplace where the ad appeared (LinkedIn, Indeed, Facebook, etc.)
- Contact banks and card issuers to dispute charges or ask for recall of transfers.
- Place credit freezes or fraud alerts via the credit bureaus.
- Document everything and, if needed, file a police report to support creditor disputes.
How scammers commonly ask to be paid — red flags to memorize
- Requests to buy gift cards and send codes, or to accept payments to your bank account on behalf of another person.
- Upfront “fees” for training, certifications, or background checks.
- Requests to pay via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or prepaid debit cards.
- Offers with unusually high pay for minimal work and immediate hiring without interviews.
Communication templates you can use
-
To the company (when verifying):
“I received a job offer allegedly from [Recruiter Name] for [Position]. I could not find this posting on your official careers page. Please confirm whether this is a legitimate recruitment.” -
To the scammer (if you must reply once to gather evidence):
“Please provide the company email address and an official contract on corporate letterhead. I will verify this directly with the company’s HR department.”
Avoid engaging beyond that; collecting the recruiter’s replies can help investigators.
Prevention: best practices during any job search
- Use secure email and browsers. Enable two-factor authentication and strong, unique passwords.
- Favor official company websites and verified profiles on LinkedIn, and contact HR through published phone numbers.
- Never provide your full Social Security number or bank account details until you have a signed offer, verified employer, and legitimate onboarding platform.
- Learn common scam patterns. For broader identity safety guidance, the FinHelp guide on “How to Safeguard Your Identity When Applying for Credit” explains related protections and steps (see: https://finhelp.io/glossary/how-to-safeguard-your-identity-when-applying-for-credit/).
- Use a personal cyber checklist like our “Personal Cyber Risk Playbook” to harden accounts and financial access (see: https://finhelp.io/glossary/personal-cyber-risk-playbook-protecting-your-financial-accounts/).
When to get professional help
- If your bank won’t reverse substantial transfers, or identity theft has led to new fraudulent accounts, contact a consumer law or identity theft attorney.
- If the scam affects your taxes (someone filed a return in your name), follow IRS guidance and file Form 14039 if instructed, and consider obtaining an IRS Identity Protection PIN. The IRS and CFPB offer steps for taxpayers who suspect fraud.
Reporting and follow-up: what to expect
- Recovery can take weeks to months. Financial institutions may recover some funds through chargebacks, but gift card and cryptocurrency transactions are often irreversible.
- Be persistent: follow up with investigators, keep copies of every submission, and continue to monitor credit reports regularly.
Case example (real-world context)
In my advising practice I helped a client who paid $1,200 for “training software” to start a remote role. We immediately contacted the card issuer, documented the communications, and filed IC3 and FTC reports. The issuer declined a full refund because the payment was made via prepaid digital cards, which are hard to trace; the client recovered a portion after negotiations and by providing a police report. The key takeaway: rapid reporting and documentation improve outcomes, but prevention is far easier than recovery.
Additional resources and authoritative sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Job Scams: https://www.ftc.gov/
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): https://www.ic3.gov/
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Job Scams and Fraud: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
- IdentityTheft.gov recovery planning: https://www.identitytheft.gov/
For related reading on identity risks and synthetic identity fraud that can arise from compromised job applicants, see FinHelp’s posts on Protecting Yourself from Synthetic Identity Fraud (https://finhelp.io/glossary/protecting-yourself-from-synthetic-identity-fraud/) and How to Safeguard Your Identity When Applying for Credit (https://finhelp.io/glossary/how-to-safeguard-your-identity-when-applying-for-credit/).
Professional disclaimer
This article is educational and does not replace personalized legal, tax, or financial advice. If you suspect significant identity theft or financial loss, consider consulting a qualified attorney, your bank’s fraud department, or a certified financial professional to discuss your specific situation.
Final checklist (quick reference)
- Stop communication and collect evidence.
- Verify the company via an independent company contact.
- Never pay upfront; refuse gift card/wire/crypto requests.
- Contact your bank, dispute payments, and freeze credit if necessary.
- Report to the FTC, IC3, state AG, and the job platform.
- Use IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan and keep monitoring your credit.
Being cautious and methodical protects your money and identity. If you think you’ve been targeted, act quickly and document everything — it increases the chance of recovering funds and halting further misuse.
