Chapter 1 of 8 · 5 checks · 4 min
Check the employer is real
Remote job seekers are a favourite target for scams. A few minutes of checking before you share documents or accept an offer protects your money and identity.
Walk away from any job that asks you to pay for equipment, training or placementMust
Why it matters and how to check
The US Federal Trade Commission is direct about this: honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job. It warns against paying for starter kits, training, certifications or job placement, and says placement firms that require an upfront fee are likely scams.
A common remote version is an "employer" that asks you to buy a laptop or software from their chosen supplier and promises to reimburse you later. The reimbursement never comes.
Check it: no step in the hiring process has asked you to pay anything. If one does, stop and research the company before going further.
Do
- Treat any upfront fee as a red flag
Avoid
- Buying equipment from a supplier the "employer" chooses before you are on payroll
Never deposit a check or forward money for a new employerMust
Why it matters and how to check
The FTC describes a classic fake check scam: a new "employer" sends you a check, asks you to deposit it, keep part of it and send the rest somewhere else, sometimes as gift cards. The check bounces later and your bank can make you repay the full amount.
The same pattern appears with bank transfers and payment apps. A real employer has no reason to route money through your personal account.
Check it: you have never been asked to move money on behalf of an employer. If you are, stop, contact your bank and report it.
Do
- Contact your bank immediately if you have already sent money
Avoid
- Buying gift cards or forwarding funds for anyone who has hired you
Be suspicious of high pay for little work and hiring with no real assessmentMust
Why it matters and how to check
The FTC calls offers that promise big pay for little time and effort almost certainly a scam. In developer hiring, warning signs include an offer after a single chat message, no technical conversation with an engineer, a recruiter using a free email address, and pressure to accept immediately.
Real remote teams usually involve several people in hiring and can tell you who your manager and teammates will be.
Check it: you have spoken live with at least one engineer or manager who works at the company, and you know who you will report to.
Do
- Ask who your manager will be and talk to them before accepting
Avoid
- Accepting an offer made entirely over chat with no technical conversation
Search the company and recruiter names with words like scam, review and complaintShould
Why it matters and how to check
Before accepting, the FTC suggests searching the company or person's name with words like "scam", "review" or "complaint", and talking it over with someone you trust.
For tech companies, also check that the company website, its careers page and the people you spoke to all line up. Look up the people you spoke to on LinkedIn and confirm they list the company. Check that the job appears on the company's own careers page, not only on a third-party site.
Check it: the company domain, the recruiter's email domain and the careers page listing all match, and your contacts exist publicly as employees.
Do
- Confirm the job on the company's own careers page
- Check that the recruiter's email uses the company domain
Avoid
- Trusting a polished website or logo on its own
Never let anyone use your identity, accounts or devices to work a remote jobMust
Why it matters and how to check
The FBI has warned that fraudulent remote IT workers use real people, sometimes knowingly and sometimes not, to get hired at companies, and that red flags include changes of address or payment platform during onboarding. Offers to "rent" your identity, host a company laptop at your home for someone else, or receive a salary and pass it on are part of this.
Doing this can expose you to serious legal trouble, even if you thought it was a harmless side income.
Check it: the only person who works under your name, logs into your accounts and uses the laptop issued to you is you.
Do
- Report suspicious approaches to the authorities in your country
Avoid
- Hosting company laptops or receiving salary on behalf of someone else