Fraud Awareness

We strive to provide job seekers with the best job search experience with every visit and continually take steps to protect our users and prevent job fraud. Unfortunately, third party job scams are on the rise. We believe that fraud prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Your best defense against fraudsters is to stay aware, learn about the most common job scams, and exercise good judgment. 

We’ve gathered this helpful information so you can learn how we communicate with you, how to spot the warning signs of an employment scam before it’s too late, and ways to report suspicious activity to FlexJobs and the authorities.

How We Communicate with our Job Seekers

We will only communicate with you through an official FlexJobs email (@flexjobs.com) or directly in our FlexJobs platform if you’re a subscriber. We will NEVER communicate with you through third-party platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and similar. 

Q: What should I do if I receive a FlexJobs-appearing message through a third-party platform?

A: If you receive a message through any third-party platform, do not engage in or continue the conversation. Immediately report the suspicious person to the FlexJobs customer service team and the appropriate consumer protection authorities.

Q: I received an email from someone with a FlexJobs email account about a job. How do I know if this is a legitimate email?

A: You can expect to see an email from us when:

  • You complete a payment on our site.
  • You purchase a FlexJobs subscription. We send both a Welcome email and Job Alerts. The Job Alerts email will provide you with the newest jobs that match your preferences.
  • You leave your subscription purchase in the “cart.” This is a forgotten or incomplete transaction, so we send a reminder.
  • You cancel your subscription.
  • You do not opt-out from our weekly Events & Webinars.
  • You do not opt-out from our weekly newsletters.
  • You opt-in to Job Alerts.
  • You opt-in to marketing emails.

You can manage your email preferences and decide which emails you would like to receive from us on the Account Details page when you are logged in.

Please note that your activity level on FlexJobs may determine the frequency of our outreach emails. Generally, the more active you are the more likely we will engage in communications.

If you receive an email that appears to be from an individual at FlexJobs with information that does not seem relevant to job search, or appears otherwise suspicious, we encourage our job seekers to report anything to us that doesn’t seem right. Whenever we find such communications, we work to validate the source and are constantly investing in new ways to improve detection.

We will NEVER ask for any money to offer a position or for any upfront costs for administrative, documentation, or visa fees.

Common Job Scams

Job ad phishing emails

  • Suspicious email addresses with misspelled company names
  • Scammer impersonating a recruiter or business representative
  • Email containing an invitation for a virtual interview originating from a personal email as opposed to a company account

Fake job postings

  • Vague job descriptions lacking specifics about the role, company, or responsibilities
  • Scheduling interviews using WhatsApp, Telegram, Google Hangouts or similar text-only apps
  • Job offers from personal emails or social media messages

Money Upfront

  • Recruiter or employer asking for investment, upfront costs, and personal or financial information or free work
  • Beware of upfront fees for a job or equipment through Zelle, PayPal, etc. 
  • Beware of reimbursements for “equipment and trainings”

Higher than market salaries for little work or ‘too good to be true’ benefits

  • Compensation and benefits for a good job offer should match industry standards and experience

Pressure to act now

  • Pressure to act immediately
  • Time sensitive job offer 
  • Urgently hiring

Job offer without an interview

Job placement service scams 

  • Staffing agencies, headhunters, and other placement firms promoting outdated or fake job openings, and charging fees for services
  • Recruiters or prospective employers contacting you for a job you have not applied for

Tips for Spotting and Avoiding Job Scams

Research the Company/Employer

  • The FTC recommends conducting an online search, using the name of the company plus the words “scam,” “complaint,” or “fraud.”
  • Verify if the company has an account with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
  • Contact the company directly using a phone number you are certain is legitimate, or go to the company’s website to confirm the job.
  • Verify the alleged recruiter’s public profile and look for connections, level of engagement, or any incomplete information in their profile.

Look for Lack of professionalism

  • Poor grammar
  • Misspelled words, syntax, and improper verb conjugation are telltale signs of a scam

Pay to Work

  • Alleged employers asking you to pay to get a job
  • Alleged employers asking you to perform financial transactions on their behalf
  • Alleged employers asking for you to pay for interview reservations, training fees, background check fees, recruiter placement fees, and/or resume formatting fees

Personal Information

  • Recruiters who ask for personal and financial information such as social security number or bank account details, drivers license, birth certificate
  • Recruiters pressuring for completion of fake background checks (See FTC’s  “Employer Background Checks and Your Rights”)

Additional Resources

FTC

FBI

Reporting Suspicious Activity

Please report any suspicious activity directly to FlexJobs at [email protected]. Additionally, the following consumer protection authorities can be contacted: 

If the job scam was perpetrated via telephone, please consider adding your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry.