Practical guide
Avoid job and work-from-home scams
Verify the employer and role before sharing identity documents, banking data, or money.
Key takeaways
Start with the answer
- Legitimate employers do not send a check and ask you to return money or buy equipment through a specified seller.
- First step: Confirm the employer through its independently found website and contact details.
- Stop if the recruiter creates urgency, avoids a real interview, uses a personal account, or asks for sensitive data too early.
The short answer
Legitimate employers do not send a check and ask you to return money or buy equipment through a specified seller.
What to know before you act
Legitimate employers do not send a check and ask you to return money or buy equipment through a specified seller.
Federal guidance is a starting point. State agencies, local offices, plan documents, contracts, and individual notices may add rules or deadlines. Use the official links on this page to verify the current requirement that applies to you.
A practical next-step checklist
Work through these steps in order. Keep copies of confirmations, notices, and the date you contacted an agency or company.
- Confirm the employer through its independently found website and contact details.
- Search the company and recruiter name with terms such as “scam” or “complaint.”
- Do not pay for a job or send money from a deposited check.
Pause and get qualified help when needed
Stop if the recruiter creates urgency, avoids a real interview, uses a personal account, or asks for sensitive data too early.
Do not send personal identifiers through an unofficial website or to someone who contacted you unexpectedly. For a disputed deadline, denial, safety issue, or legal consequence, use the responsible agency or a qualified professional rather than relying on a general guide.
Primary sources
Verify with the responsible agency
- FTC — Job scamsregulator
- Department of Labor — Wagesgovernment
How this page was made
This page was drafted with AI assistance, edited for plain language, and checked against the official sources listed above. Source review confirms that the cited pages support this general starting point; it is not expert review or personalized advice. See the editorial policy and corrections process.