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Job Offer Scams
| How it works: | A fake job posting offers remote work, data entry, personal assistant work, mystery shopping, package forwarding, or customer service. The scammer may send a fake check or ask for personal information. |
| The Hook: | Remote work is attractive, and scammers use legitimate company names to look real. |
| How to avoid it: | Be cautious of jobs that hire without a real interview, pay unusually well for simple work, send checks before work starts, or require you to buy equipment from a specific vendor. |
Work-From-Home Scams
| How it works: | The scam promises easy income from home, such as stuffing envelopes, processing rebates, posting ads, assembling products, or simple data entry. |
| The Hook: | People need flexible income, and fake testimonials make the offer look possible. |
| How to avoid it: | Avoid paying upfront for access to work. Research the company and be skeptical of high income for very little effort. |
Business Opportunity Scams
| How it works: | The scammer sells a done-for-you business, vending route, ATM route, dropshipping store, Amazon store, AI agency system, coaching program, or franchise-like opportunity promising high income. |
| The Hook: | It sounds like a shortcut. The seller may use fake income screenshots, rented luxury items, or staged testimonials. |
| How to avoid it: | Ask for written proof, real references, total costs, refund terms, and realistic earnings. Avoid pressure tactics and guaranteed-income claims. |
Fake Coaching / Guru Scams
| How it works: | A person sells expensive coaching, courses, masterminds, or mentorship promising fast money in real estate, crypto, ecommerce, AI, credit repair, trading, or online business. |
| The Hook: | The marketing sells a dream of escaping financial stress. It often focuses on lifestyle more than the actual work. |
| How to avoid it: | Look for verifiable results. Avoid programs that rely on hype, fake scarcity, pressure calls, or advice to put the purchase on a credit card. |
Business Email Compromise
| How it works: | A scammer compromises or impersonates a business email account and tricks someone into sending money, changing payment instructions, buying gift cards, or sending sensitive documents. |
| The Hook: | The email may appear to come from a boss, vendor, client, title company, attorney, or trusted employee. |
| How to avoid it: | Verify payment changes by phone using a known number. Use multi-factor authentication and train employees to question urgent money requests. |
Fake Invoice Scams
| How it works: | A business receives a fake invoice for office supplies, domain renewal, advertising, software, SEO, directory listings, trademarks, or services never ordered. |
| The Hook: | The invoice looks routine, and busy offices may pay without checking. |
| How to avoid it: | Use a payment approval process. Verify vendors and do not pay invoices unless the product or service was actually ordered. |
Domain Name / Website Renewal Scams
| How it works: | A business receives a notice that looks like a domain renewal bill, SEO invoice, website listing renewal, or trademark warning. It may be a solicitation or fake bill. |
| The Hook: | The notice uses real domain information, making it look official. |
| How to avoid it: | Know your real domain registrar and hosting company. Do not pay domain-related invoices without logging into your actual account. |
Trademark Scams
| How it works: | A business owner receives an official-looking invoice or warning about a trademark filing, publication fee, renewal, or legal deadline. |
| The Hook: | Trademark documents can be confusing, and scammers use official-sounding names. |
| How to avoid it: | Verify notices through the official USPTO website or your attorney. Be cautious with invoices from companies that are not your actual attorney or the official government office. |
Fake Check Mystery Shopper Scams
| How it works: | You are hired to be a mystery shopper. The scammer sends a check and tells you to deposit it, buy gift cards, test a money transfer service, or send money back. |
| The Hook: | The job sounds easy and legitimate. |
| How to avoid it: | Do not deposit checks from unknown companies that ask you to send money or buy gift cards. Legitimate mystery shopping does not require this. |
Package Reshipping Scams
| How it works: | A fake employer hires you to receive packages at home and reship them. The items were often bought with stolen credit cards. |
| The Hook: | It sounds like a simple remote job. |
| How to avoid it: | Avoid jobs where your main duty is receiving and reshipping packages. You could be helping move stolen goods. |
AI Job and Task Scams
| How it works: | Scammers offer remote AI-related work such as training chatbots, rating AI responses, optimizing apps, reviewing products, or completing simple online tasks. Victims may be asked to pay fees, deposit crypto, or unlock higher-paying tasks. |
| The Hook: | The work sounds modern, easy, and flexible. Small early payments may be used to build trust before larger amounts are requested. |
| How to avoid it: | Never pay money to get paid for a job. Verify the company through its official careers page and be cautious of job offers that arrive through text, WhatsApp, Telegram, or social media. |
AI Business Opportunity Scams
| How it works: | A seller promotes a done-for-you AI agency, AI automation business, AI chatbot business, or AI content business with claims of fast income, guaranteed clients, or no experience needed. |
| The Hook: | It sounds like an easy way to profit from a hot trend. The seller may use fake case studies, income screenshots, or pressure calls. |
| How to avoid it: | Ask what specific problem the business solves, who the customers are, and what support is actually included. Avoid guaranteed-income claims and high-pressure coaching programs. |
AI Impersonation of Bosses, Vendors, or Clients
| How it works: | Scammers use AI voice, video, or written messages to impersonate a boss, vendor, attorney, title company, client, or executive. They may request wire transfers, gift cards, payment changes, login credentials, or sensitive files. |
| The Hook: | The message may sound exactly like a trusted person and may reference real business details gathered from public sources or hacked accounts. |
| How to avoid it: | Verify unusual requests through a second channel using a known phone number. Require approval procedures for payment changes, wire transfers, gift cards, and sensitive documents. |