SCAM CHECK

Is This Job Offer Email A Scam?

Got an unsolicited job offer with great pay, fully remote, "just need to ship some packages for us" — or fronting cash for equipment? Almost certainly a scam. Here’s the 60-second check.

Updated May 25, 2026 · By SmartOne · 5 min read

Some links in this guide pay us a small commission. We only recommend tools we use and trust. It never costs you extra, and it helps keep the lights on at Making Sense Of Security.

The Short Answer

Yes, This Is Likely A Scam If…

You’re offered a job you didn’t apply for, the role is vague but pay is high, the employer wants you to handle money or ship packages, or onboarding requires you to buy equipment with a check they sent. Real employers don’t pay you to receive cash, and they don’t send check-deposit-then-buy-equipment errands.

Quick Risk Checklist

If any of these match the message you got, treat it as a scam until you’ve verified directly with the real company or agency.

⚠You didn’t apply for this job and don’t recognize the "recruiter."
⚠The role is vague ("customer success", "data entry", "personal assistant") but pay is unusually high.
⚠Interview is text-only or on a chat app — never video, never voice.
⚠They send a check to deposit so you can "buy equipment" or pay a "vendor."
⚠The job involves receiving packages and re-shipping them, or accepting money and forwarding it.
⚠The sender domain is gmail / yahoo / outlook, not a real company domain.

What The Scam Looks Like

Here’s the actual wording from a real scam — links are defanged so you can’t accidentally tap them.

From: HR Manager <hiring@kreplinks-consulting.com>
Dear candidate, your profile matched our open Personal Assistant role. Compensation: $2,500/week, remote. Hours: flexible. After initial paperwork (sent separately), we’ll mail you a check for your home-office setup — you’ll deposit it and purchase equipment from our preferred vendor.
(no link, but interview moves to Telegram or WhatsApp)
— Fake recruiter from a non-existent company

“Defanged” means we replaced the dot in the URL with [.] so it can’t be clicked. Scam URLs stay unclickable on this page on purpose.

What To Do Right Now

If you got this and haven’t tapped anything yet, here’s the order of operations.

•Don’t deposit any check they send you. Fake check scams are the #1 employment fraud — the check bounces a week later and you owe the bank.
•Don’t ship packages or forward money from the "employer." That’s package mule / money mule work — both are federal crimes regardless of whether you knew.
•Look up the company independently. Search LinkedIn, the BBB, the SEC EDGAR (for public companies). If you can’t verify the company exists, it doesn’t.
•Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.

What If You Already…

Don’t panic. Most damage is undoable if you act quickly. Pick the one that applies and follow the recovery steps.

… Deposited A CheckRecovery Steps →

… Bought Equipment / Gift CardsRecovery Steps →

… Shipped A PackageRecovery Steps →

… Shared Bank InfoRecovery Steps →

… Shared Personal Info / IDRecovery Steps →

… Forwarded MoneyRecovery Steps →

Recovery Library is in build. These links go to placeholder pages until those guides ship.

How To Verify A Job Offer Safely

•Search the company independently. LinkedIn page with real employees, a company website you can verify on whois.com, real BBB profile, real Glassdoor reviews.
•Insist on video interviews. Scammers refuse video. Real employers use Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet.
•Never pay anything to start a job. No deposit, no equipment purchase, no "training fee." Real employers send YOU equipment.
•Check the email domain. Real recruiters use @companyname.com. Gmail/Outlook recruiter accounts are a major red flag for established companies.

Where To Report A Job Offer Scam

FTC Consumer Fraudreportfraud.ftc.gov ↗
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Centeric3.gov ↗
USPIS (If Shipping Was Involved)uspis.gov/report ↗
BBB Scam Trackerbbb.org/scamtracker ↗

Take The 60-Second Scam Check Quiz

Eight quick questions about the message you got. We’ll give you a risk score and what to do next.

Scam Check Quiz

Is This Job Offer Email A Scam?

Answer Yes or No for each. We’ll give you a score and 3 specific next steps.

Common Questions

Why Would A Scammer Send Me A Real Check?

Because it’s actually fake. The check looks real, your bank may credit your account immediately — but it bounces a week or two later. By then you’ve already wired money "to the vendor" or bought gift cards with the funds. You end up owing the bank the full amount.

What Are Package Mule And Money Mule Jobs?

Reshipping work where you receive stolen goods and forward them, or receive scam-victim funds and forward them to the scammer. Both are crimes regardless of whether you knew. Federal authorities prosecute mules even when they were tricked.

I Already Deposited The Check — What Now?

Don’t spend any of it. Contact your bank immediately, explain the situation, and ask to reverse the deposit before it bounces. If the funds already moved, you may have to repay. Report at ic3.gov.

Are All Recruiter Cold-Emails Scams?

No — real recruiters do source candidates. But real ones come from @companyname.com, video-interview, and never ask you to deposit checks or ship packages. The above is what to watch for, not a reason to refuse all unsolicited outreach.