9 Work From Home Scams and How to Spot Them Fast

One of the downsides of the work from home niche is that scam artists know people desperately want to work from home, which makes it an easy target for promoting their employment scams. 

You’ve likely seen it online:

• Get paid thousands to start
• Easy jobs from home
• No experience necessary
• Earn $350-$500 a day

Unfortunately, employment scams are everywhere: on social media, via text messages, in phone calls, and on legit job boards. Some remote job scams are more obvious than others (and occasionally, legitimate opportunities may sound like scams). And with AI and scams becoming more sophisticated, it’s getting harder to distinguish legitimate opportunities from the scams you need to avoid.

Here are 9 common work from home scams to avoid, along with tips and tricks for staying safe and finding legitimate employers. 

1. Assembly Kits

One common scam is the work from home assembly kit. These kits may be for toys, jewelry, electronics, circuit boards, Christmas ornaments, and other trinkets. These offers sound appealing because they don’t require any special skills. Participants are told to purchase a kit, assemble the products, and then return them to the company for a profit. 

Reviews on these kits reveal they are often time-consuming to assemble and that the products have no real market value, meaning nobody wants to purchase them. Then, when you try to sell the completed product back to the retailer, they’ll say your samples don’t meet their quality standards and refuse to pay you for the products, so you’re out the money you paid for the kit. 

Rather than assembling junk with no market value, express your creativity by selling handmade items on Etsy, where you can control the price and value. 

2. Car-Wrap Advertising

Car-wrapping opportunities are another fraudulent offer to watch out for. Companies claim to pay you for advertising on your vehicle. Scammers ask for an upfront fee, promising to send the materials for wrapping. They might also suggest complicated payment methods (such as sending you a cashier’s check to pay the installer rather than simply paying them directly). These scams can turn into huge rip-offs.

There are a few legitimate companies that will pay you to advertise on your vehicle. These legitimate companies will have reviews online. They won’t ask you for payment upfront, but they will ask you questions about your driving habits. (Because who’s going to pay you to put an ad on your car if you never drive?) Carvertise (which has an A+ rating with the BBB) is a company that screens its drivers and pays qualified advertisers. 

Always do your research before joining.

3. Fake Check Scam

Check cashing scams are notorious and can be life-altering. 

Typically, they look and feel like legitimate job ads. These scammers pose as real companies and offer you a so-called job, where they’ll send you a counterfeit check for you to purchase equipment. Once you’ve deposited the fake check, they’ll either ask you to purchase gift cards for the boss and provide the gift card numbers and PINs, or they’ll say they sent too much money and request a portion back. 

This is where the scam should raise red flags, as once the 

Once these scammers have secured the gift cards or cash payment, they disappear with your money, leaving you to clean up the mess. 

4. Stuffing Envelopes

When I was in college, I fell for the stuffing envelopes scam. The flyer was posted on a bulletin board at school and asked for $12 for information; supposedly, I would learn how to stuff envelopes while earning $2 per envelope! Well, it turns out the whole “secret” was simply to reprint the flyer, post it on bulletin boards and send out mailings, and wait for other unsuspecting job seekers to fall for the scam. Ugh! No, thank you!

Nowadays, these envelope-stuffing advertisements are on the internet, following the same concept (but often asking for $75 to $150). Don’t fall for it! The envelope stuffing scheme is one of the oldest and most common work from home scams out there. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the Better Business Bureau have issued warnings about these scams.

5. Copy-and-Paste Jobs

On websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork, you often find online copy-and-paste jobs, but don’t believe it. For a small startup fee, scammers claim you’ll earn thousands of dollars simply by copying and pasting links online to websites like Craigslist, Facebook, and Yelp. Supposedly, you’ll earn money as people click on the links, but, in reality, the links you’re posting are SPAM and are generally marked as such. So you never earn any money. Plus, this so-called job contributes to the overwhelming amount of litter/SPAM that’s already on the internet. Avoid copy-and-paste jobs: they will never yield positive results.

6. Pyramid Schemes

Often, pyramid schemes can be disguised as multi-level marketing (MLM) opportunities, but don’t be fooled. A pyramid scheme rarely results in a real product being sold. Participants in pyramid schemes are often asked to pay an upfront enrollment fee; however, there’s no real product or service. With pyramid schemes, individuals make money by enrolling more participants in the scheme, not by selling an actual product.

With pyramid schemes, the product is fake. 

There’s no product and nothing to promote other than the program itself. Pyramid schemes aren’t only malicious and unsustainable; they’re illegal around the globe! The money goes straight to participants on the top of the pyramid, so most people end up losing money and getting burned. Don’t fall for it.

7. Rebate Processing

Another popular scam is remote rebate processing jobs. You see these jobs advertised on popular job boards, social media, and freelance marketplaces, saying that you can earn thousands by processing rebates from home. To get started, they’ll request a startup fee, which, like the envelope-stuffing scam, ultimately turns into a pyramid scheme that scams others with the same bogus information. 

You also need to be on the lookout for phone calls claiming you’re owed a rebate from a merchant. These callers start by asking for personal information to process your rebate, but in reality they are stealing your identity or accessing other important accounts. Never give any personal information over the phone. Legitimate companies will usually send a letter via the US Post Office. 

8. Unsolicited Emails

Watch out for unsolicited emails from someone who’s excited to offer you something (but you didn’t request it). Many rip-offs, scams, and employment schemes come unsolicited. Before the scammer tells you about an offer you can’t pass up, ask yourself, “Did I ask for this information?”

Unsolicited job offers come in many forms. A fake recruiter may contact you via email, social media, text, messaging app, or phone. Unsolicited offers generally don’t occur in person, as scammers don’t want to reveal their true identity.

The best way to steer clear of scams via unsolicited job offers is to keep track of jobs you’ve applied for. That way, when a job offer comes through, you’ll know whether or not you applied for the position. If you need a system to streamline your job search, check out the Work From Home Career Planner. 

If you receive an unsolicited job offer, check the email address and verify the recruiter on LinkedIn. If they are using a free email address like Gmail or Hotmail, and you can’t locate the recruiter on LinkedIn, it’s not real. Mark the email as SPAM and then delete it. You never want to click on links from unknown sources or disclose personal information or passwords, as many unsolicited job offers are phishing scams. 

Lastly, recruiters are not recruiting for entry-level workers; there are already enough people to fill these entry-level positions. Recruiters seek highly trained professionals in areas like healthcare, tech, finance, engineering, and energy.

9. Fake Job Listings

Sadly, even legit sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Google Jobs are filled with fake job listings. In these imposter scams, scammers impersonate legitimate companies that need remote workers. Often, these fake job listings are for high-paying entry-level roles, such as data entry clerks. When you apply for these imposter jobs, the scammer will usually request an interview via a third-party messaging app like Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Signal. 

During this so-called interview, they may press you for personal information, such as a bank account number or Social Security number. They may also convince you to purchase gift cards, which they’ll claim to pay you back for or tell you they need a deposit for equipment.

If you find a remote job on a major job board or social media site, verify its legitimacy by locating the position on the company’s website or contacting someone at the company to ensure it’s legit. 

In 2025, the FTC received over 1 million reports of imposter scams, with reported losses totaling nearly $3.5 billion! 

How Do You Avoid Job Scams?

Take your time and always vet potential employers and business opportunities. 

Read up on the company or organization to find out if they have a reputable (or any) online presence. Look for company leadership profiles on the company website and cross-reference them with profiles on LinkedIn. 

Look for contact information such as a company-branded email address, phone number, and physical location. Scammers don’t want to be found, so they hide behind fake accounts, free email addresses, and post office boxes.

Does the company have any complaints or reviews on Glassdoor, Indeed, the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, or Reddit? These sites have a ton of valuable insight from real people: don’t skip this step. 

Do they have a social media presence? In today’s tech-savvy, ever-connected environment, almost every company has some sort of social media presence. If they don’t, this could be a sign that they’re not a legit company. 

Potential Signs of a Scam

With AI, scammers are becoming more sophisticated with their scams. Knowing what to look for and how to vet opportunities is your best bet at staying safe online. Here are some potential signs that a job is a scam. 

Vague Job Descriptions

When you come across a fake job listing online, it often glosses over the experience, education, and skills required for the position. Real jobs, post list of the required skills, experience, and education. If the job listing is vague about what the occupation is, and what your job duties are, it’s very likely a scam or a shady opportunity. 

High Pay for Entry-Level Work

A legit entry-level job will pay the market rate for that position. If a job listing claims you can make thousands a day in just a few hours, run for the hills. Everyone wants to earn a huge paycheck for easy work, but top pay requires experience and skills.

If you’re not sure what an occupation should pay, here are some legit ways to figure it out.

Urgency to Take Action Quickly

Marketers are excellent at wording offers as fleeting opportunities, urging you to jump on the train before it leaves the station. When a company urges you to act fast, apply now, pay upfront, or send money immediately, take a step back.

Yes, some business opportunities require an initial investment, and some legit work from home jobs require applicants to pay for criminal background checks. However, you should always slow down, do your research, and make an informed decision. Understand fully what you’re getting into, whether it’s a freelancing gig, a remote job, or a business opportunity. 

A Thin Website Containing AI Images

It used to be that you could spot a scam website in seconds. They looked amateurish and often had terrible spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Now, with AI, a scammer can create a professional website with clear, concise spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 

There are some telltale signs that still exist, like a website that only contains a few pages: a home page, a contact page, and a job listing page. These sites also tend to use AI or stock images instead of real headshots. There is no explaination of what the company actualy sells or does, and often there is a contact form, instead of a proper Contact Page. 

Legit companies should have a Home Page, an About Page, a Contact Page, a Terms of Usage Page, a Privacy Policy, as well as information about their service offerings, products they sell, return polices, and other important pages. 

What is Your Gut Saying?

When someone describes a remote job opportunity, trust your gut first and then do your homework, even if you know the person making the claims quite well. 

With many scams, even educated, intelligent, and normally cautious people can get sucked in. Consider all the celebrities and CEOs who have fallen for Ponzi schemes, illegal crypto schemes, and investment opportunities gone awry. Even with a team of lawyers, managers, and friends watching their backs, they were taken by scammers. It can happen to the best of us.

What to Do if You’ve Fallen For a Scam

If you’ve fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank or credit card company to stop payment. If you’ve given out personal information, such as a password, change it quickly so scammers can’t take over your account. You should also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission so they can investigate the company in question. In some instances, depending on how quickly you act, you may be able to recover your losses, but often, once the money is gone, it’s gone for good. So, it’s always best to take your time when researching remote work opportunities.

Avoiding Work From Home Scams

If you’re still feeling uneasy about how to spot a work from home scam, check out the Remote Job Membership. Every single job listed is hand-screened for legitimacy. When you apply for a job through the Remote Job Membership, you can rest assured that you’re not going to fall prey to a work from home scam. The Work at Home Woman has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but we also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.

Fortunately, there are many great, legitimate ways to earn money from home. Just remember: if a work from home job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Proceed with caution, do your homework, and watch out for these common work from home scams.