18 Job Scams and Fake Side Hustles to Avoid in 2026

You get a text offering $300 a day to like videos.

A recruiter messages you on WhatsApp about an easy remote job.

An email promises you’ll make money reviewing products from home.

They all sound different.

But they often lead to the same place: a job scam!

In this guide, I’ll break down the biggest job and side hustle scams people are seeing right now, including how each scam works, the warning signs to watch for, and what to do if you’ve already been targeted.

Common Job Scams at a Glance

Use the table below to quickly find the job scam, work-from-home job scam, or side hustle scam you’re dealing with, then jump to that section for a full breakdown of how it works, the warning signs, and how to avoid it.

Scam	What They Want From You	Biggest Red Flag	Typical Loss
Video Booster	Money to “unlock” your earnings	Pay before you can withdraw	$2,300 median (BBB)
Fake Product Review	An upfront “verification deposit”	Deposit required to start testing	Varies
Survey Subscription	Your card number for a “free” reward	Reward requires a card number	$80 to $100 a month
Fake AI Training Job	Hours of unpaid “test” work	An unpaid test over an hour long	Unpaid hours, no cash lost
Crypto Deposit Job	Your own cryptocurrency	Job requires you to fund a wallet	$1,000s, some over $300,000
Reshipping	Your address to receive packages	Job is only receive and reship	No pay, plus legal risk
Equipment Reimbursement	Payment for gear they never send	You buy your laptop before day one	Full equipment cost
Personal Assistant	Gift card codes and PINs	Payment made through gift cards	Full gift card amount
Virtual Assistant	Unpaid trial work or forwarded funds	New client wants money moved	Varies
Mystery Shopper Check	A wire transfer using a deposited check	Assignment involves a wire or gift card	Full check amount
Car Wrap Decal	Wired-back “overpayment”	Check is bigger than the deal	Overpayment amount
Envelope Stuffing	An upfront “starter kit” fee	Pay $25 to $150 to begin	$25 to $150
Data Entry Starter Kit	A fee for software or certification	No FTC disclosure document offered	Varies
Career Grant	Your SSN or a processing fee	Grant finds you out of nowhere	Varies, plus ID theft risk
Fake Recruiter	A “YES” reply to a cold text	Pay quoted before any job details	Varies
Fake Interview	Your SSN and direct deposit details	Interview runs over chat or email	$3,000 average (FBI)
WhatsApp Ghost Gig	Moves you off any real platform	Recruiting happens over private chat	Varies
Netflix Tagger	Your personal information	Posted anywhere but Netflix’s site	ID theft risk, no direct loss

Job Scams Are Rising: The Latest Statistics

If it feels like you’re seeing more job scams and fake job offers than ever, you’re not imagining it.

Government agencies and consumer watchdogs have seen a sharp rise in job scams, work-from-home job scams, and other employment scams over the last few years.

Here’s what the latest data shows:

• 22,000+ employment scam reports to the BBB in 2025, roughly double 2024’s total
• 105,000+ job scam reports to the FTC in 2024, up nearly 3x from 2020, with losses over $513 million
• $2,300 median loss for task-based scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2025
• About half of 2025 employment scam reports started with a text message, according to the BBB

The FTC has taken the problem seriously enough to launch a dedicated Labor Task Force focused on fighting job scams.

AI has made the problem even worse. Scammers can now copy company logos, fake recruiter profiles, clone voices, and even create convincing interview videos.

That means you can’t rely on bad grammar or obvious spelling mistakes to spot a scam anymore.

That’s why knowing the warning signs before you apply for a job is more important than ever.

Task and Engagement Job Scams

I’ll start with one of the fastest-growing types of job scams.

These scams promise easy money for simple online tasks, then find a way to get you to send them your own money.

The Video Booster Scam

You get a text or message offering money to like videos, subscribe to channels, or complete other simple online tasks.

The work is easy, and that’s exactly what makes the scam believable.

At first, everything seems legitimate. You complete a few tasks, and your earnings start growing inside the app or website.
Then comes the catch…

You’re told you have to send your own money to “unlock” your earnings or qualify for higher-paying tasks.

Once you send the money, it goes straight to the scammer. The promised earnings either disappear or become impossible to withdraw.

The BBB’s 2026 study found hundreds of reports involving this scam. In many cases, scammers pretended to represent well-known companies while reusing the same scripts with victims across the country.

• Red flag: Any task-based job that asks you to pay before you can withdraw money you’ve already earned.
• How to avoid it: I never trust any employer that asks me to pay to access my own earnings. Legitimate companies simply pay you. Real platforms that pay for watching video content exist, but they pay cents per view, not $300 a day.
• If you already paid: Stop sending money immediately. Report the scam to the BBB Scam Tracker and ReportFraud.ftc.gov, then contact your bank or card issuer to dispute the charge if possible.

Fake Product Review and App Testing Scams

Scammers know lots of people want to get paid to test products or apps from home.

That’s why this scam has become so common.

The offer usually promises easy money for reviewing products or testing new apps.

Legit product testing exists, but the scam version asks for a “verification deposit” before your first assignment, or pays you in points that convert to nothing.

• Red flag: Any product testing job that asks for money upfront or pays only in points or in-app credit.
• How to avoid it: I’d stick to well-known product testing companies with a proven track record and real cash payouts.
• If you already paid: Request a refund or dispute the charge through your payment provider, and report the company to the BBB Scam Tracker.

Survey Subscription Traps

This scam usually starts with something simple: a short survey that promises a gift card, free product, cash reward, or other prize for taking a few minutes to answer some questions.

When you go to claim your reward, you’re asked to enter your credit or debit card for a small shipping or processing fee.
That tiny charge is the trap.

It often signs you up for a recurring subscription you never meant to join, sometimes costing $80 to $100 every month.

I first learned how common this scam was after hearing from a MoneyPantry reader. They completed a survey tied to a retail giveaway, paid a $7.95 shipping fee for a small item, then started seeing unexplained $98.45 charges from an unfamiliar company two months later.

• Red flag: A “free” survey reward that asks for your credit or debit card instead of simply collecting your shipping information.
• How to avoid it: Never enter card details for a genuinely free reward, and use a virtual or single-use card number if you want to test an offer.
• If you already paid: Contact your card issuer right away, dispute the recurring charge, and ask for a replacement card number so the company can’t keep billing you.

AI Job Scams and Fake AI Jobs

AI has created plenty of legitimate ways to make money online.

Unfortunately, it’s also given scammers a new way to trick job seekers by copying real AI jobs and making them look convincing.

Fake AI Training and Data Labeling Jobs

Real data annotation and AI training jobs do exist. In fact, TIME reported that some legitimate platforms pay $20 an hour or more for this type of work.

The scam starts when you’re asked to complete a long “paid assessment” before you’re officially hired.

You might spend hours labeling images, reviewing chatbot responses, or organizing data. Then the company either sends you a generic rejection or disappears completely.

You did real work. You just never got paid for it.

• Red flag: An unpaid “test” that takes more than an hour or looks like actual work the company could use.
• How to avoid it: Research the company name plus “reviews” before starting any lengthy assessment, and be wary if the assessment output looks like it could be sold as finished data.
• If it happened to you: There’s no fee to recover since you didn’t pay money, but you can help others by reporting the job listing, leaving honest reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and sharing your experience on Reddit or other job forums.

Crypto Deposit Job Scams

This scam often starts with an unexpected text offering flexible remote work reviewing products or completing simple online tasks.

Once you show interest, the recruiter tells you the job requires a cryptocurrency wallet.

Next, you’re asked to deposit your own crypto to “activate” your account, unlock higher-paying tasks, or prove you can buy the products you’ll supposedly review. You never actually review anything. The money goes straight to the scammer.

New York’s Attorney General froze $2.2 million in cryptocurrency connected to this exact type of scam. Individual victims reportedly lost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $300,000.

The FBI has flagged two details that show up again and again in these work-from-home crypto scams. The job description uses the word “optimization” for very simple tasks. And nobody ever asks you for references.

That second one is the useful tell. A real employer checks who you are before handing you work. A scammer skips it because they were never hiring.

• Red flag: Any job that asks you to open and fund a cryptocurrency wallet before you can start working.
• How to avoid it: I treat any job that requires me to deposit my own cryptocurrency as a scam. Legitimate employers don’t ask workers to invest their own money just to qualify for a job.
• If you already sent crypto: Report the scam immediately to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state’s Attorney General. Cryptocurrency transactions move quickly, so acting fast gives you the best chance of helping investigators track the funds.

Package and Shipping Job Scams

Not every job scam is designed to steal your money right away.

Some trick you into helping criminals without you even realizing it.

Reshipping and Package Inspector Scams

This scam usually comes with an official-sounding job title like Package Inspector, Quality Control Specialist, or Shipping Coordinator.

Your job is simple: receive packages at home, inspect or repackage them, then ship them to another address.

It sounds like a legitimate work-from-home logistics job.

It isn’t!

In many cases, the packages were bought with stolen credit cards. By forwarding them, you become part of the scam without knowing it.

That can leave you dealing with lost wages, police investigations, or even legal trouble.

The FTC’s December 2025 alert warns that scammers use professional-looking job titles to make these fake shipping jobs seem legitimate.

• Red flag: A work-from-home job where your main responsibility is receiving and reshipping packages you didn’t order.
• How to avoid it: I’d avoid any job that revolves around forwarding packages. Legitimate employers don’t hire random people to receive merchandise at their homes and ship it somewhere else.
• If you already shipped a package: Stop immediately. Report the scam to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FTC, and save every email, text message, shipping label, and payment record. Those records can help show that you were a victim rather than a willing participant.

Fake Check Job Scams

Several common job scams use the same basic trick: they make money appear in your account, then pressure you to send some of it somewhere else.

The check eventually bounces, but the money you sent is already gone, and your bank holds you responsible.

Some scammers use the same idea without a fake check, asking victims to buy gift cards, send money transfers, or move funds on their behalf.

The goal is always the same: get you to send money before you realize the job was fake.

Equipment and Home Office Reimbursement Scams

You get hired for a remote job and the offer feels real.

Then your new manager tells you that you need a specific laptop, monitor, or software package before your start date.

They send you an invoice and tell you to pay their “approved vendor” using Zelle, PayPal, or cash.

The promise is that your first paycheck will cover the whole thing.

That paycheck never arrives.

The FTC warns that scammers ask new hires to pay for work-from-home equipment they say they’ll reimburse, and that the invoice itself is fake.

A second version skips the invoice and sends you a check instead.

You deposit it, buy the equipment, and wire the leftover balance back to the “vendor.”

The check bounces a week later and your bank pulls the full amount back out of your account.

• Red flag: A new employer who needs you to buy your own equipment through a vendor they picked.
• How to avoid it: I don’t pay for anything before my first day, ever. Real employers ship you the gear or reimburse you through payroll after you start.
• If you already paid: Call your bank or the payment app you used and report it as fraud the same day. Zelle and wire transfers move fastest, so speed matters more here than it does with a credit card.

Personal Assistant Scams

This scam starts with a fake personal assistant job. You’re hired by someone claiming to be an executive, business owner, or “boss,” and your first assignment is to buy gift cards, then send back the card numbers and PINs by photo.

The moment you send those codes, the money is gone.

Gift cards work especially well for scammers because they can use the balance almost immediately and transactions are difficult to reverse.

• Red flag: A “job” that asks you to buy gift cards, send gift card codes, or make payments on behalf of your employer.
• How to avoid it: No legitimate employer ever asks you to buy gift cards as part of getting paid.
• If you already sent codes: Contact the gift card retailer immediately. Some companies can freeze unused balances if you act quickly.

Virtual Assistant Scams

Virtual assistant work is a real and growing way to earn money online.

Unfortunately, scammers use the popularity of remote VA jobs to target people looking for flexible work.

One common version starts when a fake client gives you real-looking tasks to “prove yourself” as their new assistant.

You might be asked to schedule appointments, research information, book travel, or handle invoices.

After you complete the work, the client disappears without paying.

Another version involves fake payments. The client sends you money, often through a check, and asks you to forward part of it somewhere else. When the payment turns out to be fake, you’re left responsible for the money you sent.

• Red flag: A new client who wants you handling payments, transferring money, or buying things before you’ve signed an agreement.
• How to avoid it: Always get clear payment terms in writing before doing significant work. For new clients, avoid unpaid trial projects that involve hours of real work.
• If you already forwarded money: Contact your bank immediately, explain what happened, and report the client’s information to the FTC.

Mystery Shopper Check Scams

This scam uses a real side hustle as the cover story.

Mystery shopping is legitimate, but scammers create fake assignments that are really just a way to use you in a fake check scheme.

A check arrives with instructions to evaluate a store, wire transfer service, or gift card purchase using part of the money.

The check may look completely real and the funds may even appear in your account at first.

The problem is that the check eventually bounces, leaving you responsible for any money you already sent.

The classic version involves a $600 check with instructions to wire $200 back through Western Union, which I broke down in detail in this walkthrough of how the check-and-wire setup plays out.

• Red flag: A mystery shopping assignment that asks you to wire money, buy gift cards, or test a payment service using money from a check you were sent.
• How to avoid it: Stick to real mystery shopping companies with a track record. Legitimate mystery shoppers don’t get paid by depositing a check and sending money back.
• If you already deposited the check: Contact your bank as soon as you suspect something is wrong. Don’t assume the money is real just because it appears in your account balance.

Car Wrap Decal Scams

Car wrap advertising is a real way some drivers earn extra money.

The scam version takes that idea and combines it with the same fake check trick used in other job scams.

You’re offered hundreds of dollars a month to put a company’s logo or advertisement on your car.

Then you receive a check for more than the promised payment and are told to deposit it and send the extra money to a “decal installer” or wrapping company.

The problem?

The check is fake!

Once the bank discovers it, you’re responsible for the money you sent, even though the scammer’s check originally made it look like you had the funds.

• Red flag: A car wrap offer that sends you an oversized check and asks you to wire back the difference.
• How to avoid it: I only trust car wrap companies that pay me directly. A legitimate advertiser won’t send me extra money and ask me to forward it somewhere else.
• If you already wired money: Contact your bank and the wire service immediately. The sooner you report it, the better your chance of stopping or tracing the payment.

Pay-Upfront Job Scams

Some job scams don’t start by stealing your information or sending you a fake check.

They start by asking you to pay for the privilege of working.

Envelope Stuffing Scams

This scam has been around for decades, and it’s still showing up in new places. Instead of newspaper ads, scammers now promote these through social media like TikTok and Instagram, websites, and online job posts.

The pitch sounds simple: pay $25 to $150 for a starter kit, then earn money stuffing envelopes from home.

But there is usually no real envelope stuffing job. The “kit” often teaches you to place the same advertisement and sell the same opportunity to other people.

Instead of getting paid for work, you become part of the sales chain.

The FTC has warned about similar work-from-home schemes for years. Related scams often use names like rebate processing, data entry, or paid captcha work, but the pattern is the same: you pay upfront for a job that either doesn’t exist or pays nowhere near what was promised.

There’s a federal rule that lets you test one of these offers in about two minutes.

The FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule specifically names work-at-home programs like envelope stuffing and craft assembly.

If a seller wants money from you to get started, they have to give you a one-page disclosure document at least seven days before you pay anything.

That document has to list contact information for at least 10 people who already bought in, plus any fraud or deception cases filed against the company in the past 10 years. So ask for it.

A real business opportunity hands it over. A scam goes quiet, stalls, or tells you the rule doesn’t apply to them.

• Red flag: Any work-from-home job that requires you to pay for a starter kit, training, software, or access before you can begin.
• How to avoid it: I follow one simple rule: real employers pay me. They don’t charge me a fee before I can start working.
• If you already paid: Contact your card issuer as soon as possible to dispute the charge, and report the company to the FTC. Mention that you never received a disclosure document, because failing to provide one is its own violation.

Data Entry and Rebate Processing Scams

These sound more modern than envelope stuffing, but they run on the same engine.

The ad promises steady data entry work from home at a decent hourly rate.

Then you’re told you need to buy the software, the training course, or a “certification” before you can be assigned anything.

Rebate processing follows the same script. You pay for a starter package, then find out the actual work is posting the same ads that recruited you.

The FTC is blunt about this exact move in its own rulebook for sellers: don’t tell people you’re offering them a job if what you’re really doing is selling them a business.

That’s the whole scam in one sentence. You think you’re being hired. You’re being sold something.

Same test as above applies here. Ask for the disclosure document and the list of 10 past buyers before you send a dollar.

• Red flag: A data entry or rebate processing job that charges you for software, training, or certification before your first assignment.
• How to avoid it: I ask whether I’m being hired or being sold a business, and I ask it in writing. Real employers don’t need a disclosure document, because real employers never charge you.
• If you already paid: Dispute the charge with your card issuer, then report the company to the FTC and your state’s Attorney General.

Career Advancement Grant Scams

This scam targets people who are trying to improve their careers.

You receive an email, text, or message claiming you’ve been selected for a government, nonprofit, or company grant to pay for training, certifications, or education.

The catch?

Before you can receive the money, you’re asked to pay a processing fee or provide sensitive information like your Social Security number or bank account details.

Legitimate education and career grants don’t work this way.

If you’re looking for real opportunities, my guide to scholarships and grants covers programs that don’t charge you just to apply.

• Red flag: An unsolicited grant offer that asks for payment, your Social Security number, or banking information before you’ve verified the organization.
• How to avoid it: Always verify grants through the organization’s official website instead of clicking links in unexpected emails or messages.
• If you already responded: If you shared your Social Security number, consider placing a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus and report the scam to the FTC.

Fake Recruiter and Hiring Scams

Some job scams don’t start with a fake job at all.

They start with a real company’s name attached to a job that company never posted.

Fake Recruiter and Company Impersonation Scams

A message arrives from a recruiter at a company you’ve actually heard of.

The logo looks right. The email signature looks right. Sometimes the recruiter’s name belongs to a real employee who really does work there.

None of it is real.

In April 2026 the FTC flagged a newer version of this scam: fake recruiters texting about remote roles with vague titles like “online assessor” or just “remote position.” They quote a daily or weekly pay rate and give no details about the actual work.

The new twist is that they don’t ask you to click a link anymore.

They ask you to reply “YES” or “INTERESTED.”

That reply is the whole point. It confirms a real person is on the other end and actively looking for work, which is what makes your number worth working on.

Scammers get the company name attached so easily because job boards don’t always verify who’s posting. The FBI found that weak verification on one recruitment site let anyone post a job on an official company page, so the fake listing appeared right alongside the real ones.

• Red flag: A recruiter who quotes pay before describing the work, or who asks you to reply YES to a text you weren’t expecting.
• How to avoid it: I search the company name on its own and check whether the same job sits on their official careers page. Two near-identical domains for one company, like abccompany.com and abccompanyllc.com, means at least one of them is spoofed.
• If you’ve already replied: Stop the conversation and block the number. Report the listing to the job board and to the real company, because they usually have no idea their name is being used.

Fake Interview and Onboarding Scams

You apply, you interview, you get the offer.

Then the “onboarding paperwork” asks for your Social Security number, a photo of your driver’s license, and your direct deposit details before you’ve signed anything real.

That paperwork is the scam.

No money changes hands, which is exactly why this one slips past people who know to watch their wallet.

The FBI has documented scammers running full fake interviews over teleconference apps, sending a real-looking employment contract, then using the personal details to open financial accounts in the victim’s name.

Reported losses averaged close to $3,000 per person, along with damage to credit scores. Mind you that average covers reports going back to 2019, so treat it as a floor rather than a current figure.

The tells here are unusually specific:

• The interview happens over chat or email instead of a live video call
• The meeting invite uses an email address instead of a phone number
• The job appears on a job board but nowhere on the company’s own careers page
• The recruiter has no profile on the job board, or a profile that doesn’t match the role they claim
• You’re asked to pay upfront for a background check, screening, or training

• Red flag: Any request for your SSN, bank details, or ID photo before you’ve had a verified video interview and signed a real offer.
• How to avoid it: Real employers collect payroll information after you’re hired, not during the interview. I ask for a video call and check the person’s face against the company’s staff page.
• If you already shared your details: Place a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus, freeze your credit files, and report it to the FBI at IC3.gov. Then pull your credit report and look for accounts you never opened.

WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messaging Job Scams

Many job scams don’t begin with a fake job board or a suspicious website.

They start with a simple message that appears to come from a recruiter.

WhatsApp and Telegram Ghost Gigs

You receive an unexpected text or message on WhatsApp or Telegram offering flexible, high-paying work.

The job sounds easy, the pay sounds unusually good, and the recruiter wants to move the conversation quickly.

The FTC has warned about this exact pattern: scammers use messaging apps to offer quick-money opportunities, then move victims into private chats where there are fewer protections and fewer records.

These scams often involve fake task jobs, fake companies, or requests for personal information before you’ve even had a real interview.

• Red flag: An unexpected job offer that quickly moves you from a job board or email into a private messaging app.
• How to avoid it: Verify the company first. I look for the same job listing on the company’s official careers page and confirm the recruiter is actually connected to that company.
• If you’ve already engaged: Stop responding, block the number or account, save screenshots of the conversation, and report the message to the FTC.

Netflix Tagger Job Scams

This scam keeps coming back because it sounds like the perfect side hustle: get paid to watch Netflix shows from home.

Netflix has hired people for content-related roles that involve reviewing and categorizing shows, but these positions are rare and are posted through Netflix’s official careers website.

The scam version copies that idea. Fake listings appear on social media, random job boards, and unsolicited emails promising easy money for watching and tagging shows from home.

The goal isn’t to hire you.

These fake offers are often designed to collect your personal information or send you to fake application websites.

• Red flag: A “Netflix tagger” or “Netflix watcher” job posted anywhere other than Netflix’s official careers site.
• How to avoid it: Check Netflix’s careers page directly and be skeptical of any offer promising high pay for an easy job with no experience required.
• If you shared personal info: Monitor your accounts, consider placing a fraud alert if you shared sensitive information, and be cautious of follow-up messages using the information you provided.

How to Spot a Fake Job Before You Apply

Run six checks before you apply for any work-from-home job.

Find the listing on the employer’s own careers page, search the company name by itself, verify the recruiter through contact details you found yourself, insist on a video interview, hold back your SSN and bank details until after you sign, and never pay for anything.

Here’s how each one works in practice:

1. Find the listing on the company’s own site. If a job only exists on a job board and nowhere on the employer’s careers page, that’s the fastest tell you’ll get.
2. Search the company name by itself. Two nearly identical domains for one company means one of them is spoofed.
3. Verify the recruiter through a channel you found. Call the main company number listed on their website, not the number in the message you received.
4. Insist on a live video interview. The FBI specifically warns about hiring processes run entirely over chat, email, or meeting apps that use email addresses instead of phone numbers.
5. Hold your SSN and bank details until you’ve signed. Payroll information comes after hiring, never during the interview.
6. Never pay for anything. Not equipment, not training, not a background check, not a starter kit, not a certification.

If you want a safe place to start a remote job search, federal and postal jobs are always free to apply for through USAJobs.gov. Anyone charging you a fee to apply for a government job is running a scam.

The #1 Rule for Avoiding Job Scams

Every scam in this guide looks a little different on the surface.

One starts with a text message.

Another uses a fake check.

Another asks for crypto.

Another promises easy money for clicking buttons.

But the warning sign is usually the same: someone claiming to offer you work wants something from you first.
They want your money, your personal information, access to your accounts, or for you to move money on their behalf.

Legitimate employers and clients pay you for your work.

They don’t ask you to pay an “unlock fee,” deposit crypto to get started, buy gift cards for them, or send money somewhere else as part of your job.

Employment scams are one branch of a much bigger family, and the same logic applies across all of them. If you want the wider picture, my guide to money scams covers the ones that target you outside of work.

Found a job or side hustle scam that isn’t listed here? Share your experience in the comments.

Reader reports help me keep this guide current and make sure it covers the job scams people are actually running into right now.