Know the signs of a job scam

Instagram and TikTok job scams offering work from home and remote opportunities are among the newer scam tactics now being used, according to JobsAware.

September is a popular time of year for job seekers, and scammers, posing as recruiters, are primed and ready with exciting offers designed to steal money and personal details.

JobsAware, a worker rights organisation that provides advice and collects data on various types of work issues including job scams, told Which? that reports of job scams increased by 109% from 2022 to 2023.

Fraudsters use a variety of methods to build your trust and trick you into applying for non-existent roles, only to steal your money and identity.

Here are some of the common tactics job scammers use.

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Job scam tactics

Task scam

These types of scams involve a job scammer asking you to sign up to a dodgy website or app. Once signed up, you’re told that you can earn money by completing simple tasks, such as watching a video.

The catch is you’ll have to upgrade your account after completing a few tasks and to do this, you’ll have to pay a fee. Of course, any ‘earnings’ you make will never be released to you.

Fake cheque scam

Job scammers may send you cheque to ‘pay’ you for your work. This cheque will typically be more than you’re owed and the scammer will make up some excuse as to why this is.

You’ll then be asked to send the extra money back to them or to another person and then the cheque will bounce when you try to deposit it. As the cheque is fake, you would have actually sent the scammer your own money.

Parcel mule scam

You can become a parcel mule after applying for a ‘job’ involving the sorting and shipping of parcels.

What’s actually happening is that scammers are sending you fraudulently obtained items that will lead back to you if investigated by the police.

Advance-fee scam

This is when job scammers ask you to pay for something upfront, such as equipment, to be able to work remotely and claim that they’ll pay you back.

The scammer will then make off with your money or ask you to pay for more items upfront.

Identity theft

During the fake job application process, fraudsters may ask you to send copies of your identity documents, such as your passport or driving licence.

They’ll then use these details to steal your identity and commit identity fraud.

Staying safe from job scams

Some steps you can take if you’re suspicious about a job listing are:

• Searching the company name on Companies House or overseas registries to confirm that the organisation offering you the job actually exists. If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the offer is genuine.
• Avoiding applying to jobs sent to you from random numbers on WhatsApp or via text.
• Avoiding jobs offered to you by strangers on social media.
• If you've been contacted by a recruiter, search their name online. You may find that they’re impersonating a real person.
• If you’re directed to a website, follow these tips to check whether it's a scam site.

• Find out more: job scams and employment fraud

Is it safe to search for a job online?

We asked job-searching websites Indeed, LinkedIn and Reed about job scams on their platforms to understand the safety measures in place for job seekers. 

Indeed explained that it has a dedicated Trust and Safety Team to assess job listings on its platform. It also told us that it removes tens of millions of listings that fail to meet its guidelines and encourages job seekers to report suspicious listings.

Reed told us if a job scam is discovered on its platform, the advertiser is immediately suspended and any live jobs they may have are removed. It also said that it's aware of people imitating Reed on WhatsApp and Facebook offering fake jobs.

LinkedIn told us that it uses various technology and teams of experts to find and remove unsafe jobs.

In a recent report by the platform, it found that 90.5% of fake accounts on LinkedIn were blocked by this technology between July and December 2023. It also found that the remaining 9.5% were stopped by its manual investigations and restrictions.

How to report a job scam

On Indeed, you can report a suspicious listing by scrolling to the bottom of the post, selecting ‘report job' and completing the form.

On LinkedIn, click on the job title to go to the job details page. Select the ‘more’ icon and press ‘report this job’ from the dropdown menu. To report messages, press the three dots at the top of the message before selecting ‘report/block’.

On Reed, there is an option to 'report this job,' at the end of a job description.

If you've shared any personal details or documents, change the passwords associated with the accounts and keep an eye on your credit report for any unusual activity. If you've shared financial details or paid any money to a scammer, you should alert your bank immediately by calling the number on the back of your bank card.

You can also report the scam to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.