A stranger texts you about a job. It’s remote, the pay is great, and you never applied. It feels flattering, and that’s the hook.
Text message:
Hi, this is Emma from TalentCore Careers. We found your résumé online. Remote part-time work, $300–$800 per day, no experience needed. Reply YES for details on WhatsApp.
Hi, this is Emma from TalentCore Careers. We found your résumé online. Remote part-time work, $300–$800 per day, no experience needed. Reply YES for details on WhatsApp.
An invented example, but real scam messages look just like it.
Short answer: Almost always a scam. The FTC says honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job, and real recruiters don’t usually open with day-rates by random text.
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Red flags in a message like this
- You didn’t apply for anything
- Very high pay for very easy work
- A quick move to WhatsApp or Telegram
- A request to pay for training, equipment or a “deposit”
- A check sent to you, with a request to send some money back
What the FTC says
- Don’t pay for the promise of a job. Honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
- In a check scam, you deposit a check and send money on. The check bounces, and the bank wants you to repay it.
- Look the company up yourself and use the contact details on its official website.
If you already tapped, replied or paid
- Sent money: contact the payment service you used (card, app, bank wire, gift card or crypto platform) right away to report fraud and ask for a reversal.
- Deposited a check: don’t send anything, and tell your bank.
- Shared your Social Security number: go to IdentityTheft.gov.
Report it: Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general, and forward the text to 7726.
Still not sure? Paste it into ScamRead before you reply or pay.