Updated April 28, 2025.
Remote jobs are more popular than ever, and scammers know it! If you're searching for a legitimate work-from-home opportunity, it's important to be aware of the red flags.
One common and dangerous scam to watch out for is the “deposit a check and wire money” scheme. It often looks like a real job offer, but it can land you in serious legal trouble.
I get more emails about this scam than ANY other type, so I felt it was important to get this information out here so you can protect yourself.
Here's how it works and what to watch out for.
How the Check Cashing Scam Works
The scam usually starts when a “company” reaches out to you after you apply for a remote job online. Sometimes they will even initiate the first contact through popular job boards like LinkedIn or via direct email.
- You are invited to interview, usually through messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal.
- The “interview” is fast, easy, and often too good to be true. The job will sound like just what you've been looking for.
- You receive a “job offer” very quickly, sometimes within minutes.
- They claim you need to buy office equipment, such as a laptop, printer, or software.
- Instead of providing the equipment, they say they will send you a check or direct deposit so you can purchase what you need.
- They instruct you to deposit the check into your bank account.
- Once the check “clears” (it shows as available in your bank account temporarily), they tell you to send part of the money to a third party, often through a wire transfer, cashier's check, or digital wallet.
It may seem legitimate at first, but here's the problem: the check is fake!
When your bank discovers the fraud (and they will) you are responsible for the full amount of the check. Plus, you could be accused of participating in fraud, even if you did not realize you were being scammed!
Why This Scam Is So Dangerous
Many people assume that if a bank accepts a check, it must be real. This is NOT true.
Banks often make deposited funds “available” within a day or two, but that does not mean the check has cleared. It can take weeks for a check to fully process and be verified.
By the time the check bounces, you may have already wired money to the scammer. Not only will you owe your bank the entire amount, but you could also face CRIMINAL CHARGES if authorities believe you knowingly participated.
Red Flags to Watch For
Knowing the warning signs can help you avoid falling into this trap. Here are the most common red flags:
- The company wants to interview you only by messaging app with no video call.
- The interview is extremely short and unprofessional.
- You are hired almost immediately with little to no discussion about your skills or experience.
- They ask you to deposit a check and send money elsewhere.
- They claim you need to buy equipment yourself using money they send.
- The company's website (if they even send you a link to one) is very basic, missing real contact information or professional details.
- Emails from the company are full of grammar errors or come from personal email addresses instead of a company domain.
How to Protect Yourself From the Check Cashing Scam
Taking a few extra steps can save you from major financial and legal headaches.
1. Research the company carefully.
- Look up the company's official website.
- Search for reviews on trusted sites like Glassdoor or Indeed.
- Check for scam warnings by typing the company's name plus “scam” in a search engine.
2. Be suspicious of checks sent before work begins.
- Assuming a legit company pays for your equipment at all, they will provide equipment directly or reimburse you through official payroll systems AFTER a proper onboarding process.
- No legitimate employer will ask you to send money to a third party!
3. Insist on a real interview.
- Video interviews are standard practice today for most remote jobs where an interview is required.
- If a company refuses to schedule a call or meet face-to-face (even virtually), it is a major red flag.
4. Trust your instincts.
- If something feels rushed, confusing, or too good to be true, step back and think carefully before proceeding.
5. Never wire money or send gift cards.
- Scammers love payment methods that are hard to trace. Legitimate employers will never ask for these!
What to Do If You Are Targeted
If you realize you are being scammed, here are the steps you should take immediately:
- Stop all communication with the scammer.
- Do not deposit the check or send ANY money.
- Contact your bank immediately if you already deposited the check. They may be able to place a hold on it before you lose money.
- Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Alert the job board or platform where you found the listing so hopefully they remove it.
Taking quick action can help protect your finances and prevent others from being tricked as well.
To Sum Up
It is definitely exciting to land a remote job offer, but moving too fast can cost you. Scammers are getting more sophisticated every day, and fake job offers are one of their favorite tricks.
Always be cautious when a company offers you money upfront, especially if they ask you to send part of it elsewhere. A real employer will NEVER ask you to do this!
Stay alert, trust your gut, and remember: when it comes to job hunting, patience and careful research pay off.
Good luck, and I hope this information helped! Please pass it along to anyone else you know who may have accepted a fraudulent job offer.
Need Help Finding Legit Remote Jobs?
If you're tired of worrying about scams, consider using FlexJobs.
FlexJobs carefully screens every job listing to make sure it's legitimate with no scams, ads, or junk.
You can access their full database of remote and flexible jobs for just $2.95 during a 14-day trial.
It’s an easy way to search with confidence and focus on real opportunities, and avoid scams like the one described above.
Anna Thurman is a work at home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 14 years. Her findings are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.
I’m getting interviewed by two companies at the same time and the similarities is uncanny. They sound like all the stories on here as well so I guess it’s a scam. 🙁 I want a better job I’m going to start saying I’m unemployed…
2/5/18 Email from [email protected] Stated a top client, “Midwest Medical Supply” interested in my resume, they’d like me to contact Dennis Dinger, Hiring Operations Manager, [email protected] for further discussions.
2/12 Dinger replied to my email, described position, invited me to schedule interview. Attached official-looking document from “Midland Medical Supply” with in-depth company description. Scheduled interview on Google Hangouts at [email protected]
02/15 Lengthy Hangouts interview: Gave me interview code MM/18/M35. Asked me copied/pasted questions RE employment, behavioral questions.
2/19 Dinger sent employment offer document with excellent job details, I completed, returned.
2/20 Hangouts home office registration and pre-training. I emailed my address, phone number, interview code to [email protected] .Pre-training-several tasks, assess ability to follow instruction.
2/23 Dinger email: He’d overnight funds for home office+$50 bonus. W-4, I-9 attached
Completed, scanned, emailed back W4, I-9.
2/27 Dinger email: “Here is the tracking information for your package 771585682917 .Its in the amount of $4478.83, you’re to have it tracked via FedEx.com and inform me as soon as it is delivered so I can provide instructions on how to proceed. You can reach Me Directly at 402-260 3909”
2/27 Also received order confirmation invoice from [email protected] , salesman’s name: Luke Thompson for office equipment totaling $2416.56. Invoice listed Orion Medical as requisitioner.
2/28 Dinger called after FedEx didn’t deliver, Indian accent. Number of cancellations by sender and/or package sent to FedEx security dept, new tracking numbers sent.
Fri 3/2 FedEx envelope arrived with check for $4478.83 from Solar Turbines, a Caterpillar Company. Then ‘finance department task to observe how I adhere to instructions,’ I was to deposit check, email him confirmation.
3/3 Dinger asked me to verify funds available via online banking. Asked how far my nearest bank branch, what other banks near it, how far to nearest Wal-Mart? He first stated I’d send $4400 for office equipment, then after some pauses, this is his quote on Hangouts: “You will have to head over to your local Walmart now to make the payment of $2416.56 using the Walmart money center so the vendor account rep can confirm your payment and approve installation…go along with your Debit/Credit card… it has to be done in person…physical receipt is required.”
To be a second invoice sent for additional equipment I’d pay for later. I was to use Walmart to Walmart money transfer to Anthony Wilson, Los Angeles, CA. Made me suspicious, did more fact-checking, things not lining up. Being Sat, unable to call businesses involved. My bank said funds available, I decided to proceed. Walmart Money Center employee denied personal transaction.
I then found an exact account of this scam right here on this site. I phoned JPMorgan Chase, Syracuse, NY where the check originated and no such account number existed.
This scam was so elaborate, I’m sorry to say I fell for it. Thankfully, I was spared from actually sending the money. I reported to the FTC, I hope this helps someone else to avoid being scammed.
Just got offered a job for a UK company as a ‘Assistant Manager’ in charge of receiving payments from US customer and having to process the payments through my own bank account to forward to the UK. Ridiculous! starting pay at $4800 a month plus a cut of the checks haha so crazy, I can’t believe people actually fall for this. They send a nice document that has a lot of information, but no specifics about the company besides the header and have received emails from different names using @earthlink.net addresses. Why wouldn’t they be coming directly from the company? They finally sent an actual Doc file with the company ‘Access Diagnostic Tests UK Ltd’ in the header, oddly enough don’t see any scam articles about them on Google, but it’s probably a new company someone is using in Asia or Africa lol
Thank you so much! I was just contacted by a company through a reputable freelancing site and went through an interview and they told me the job was $25/hr and everything just to get an email with a “check” and instructions to print it and deposit via mobile banking. Nearly $2k for a computer they wanted me to use for training. Came from a standard Gmail account too and not even a work email. I had looked up the company before, Healthgrades, which is real. The bank on the check was real too but the memo didn’t say anything about them or the equipment it was “Re” some woman’s name. I told them my bank didn’t accept those checks so they asked me what would they accept and I said “the real kind” and blocked them. I knew it felt too good to be true, but thanks so much for helping. Valuable info.
This just happened to me. The company is based in London, UK and apparently they want to open branches here in Florida. I received a check for $5,600 for “office supplies”. I shred the check. Now I’m supposed to receive all the equipment directly shipped to my house. So I don’t know what to do ?
This just happened to me today, but I did not get that far as having them send me anything. I had the phone interview??? on Monday, with a “Company called Metresolutions” the guy asked me 5 questions and that was it….he said to wait until Thursday, October 19th that I would be getting a confirmaton emailI with an offer. I got a confirmation e-mail from two different email address. The guy calls himself Robert Tate called me today and started the run down that I would receive a package with some paperwork rom their “Finance Department”…not their “HR Department” which would have made more sence. He mentioned that they are opening an office in Orlando, but the lease was not signed yet. He also went as fare as to say he was going to send me a check for $4,600 for office supplies…that’s when I started asking him a lot of questions. All he said was one thing at a time. I caught on after I did some research and found this page. I googled the company it does not exist. Eventhough they have a website..it does not prove that they have the offices in Canada as they say. The company calls themselves Metrexsolutions.
I did’nt get too excited, thought the offer of $31 an hour was a little suspicious since a person to person interview was not conducted and this was for a personal/admin job. Needless to say I called them at their own game and shot off a list of questions for them…Waiting to see if I get a response. But I doubt it. Good thing I did not quit by job.
Same thing happened to me. I received an email on Thursday stating I was chosen for a position with a “company” looking for dedicated fast paced work oriented people and I had an on-line interview scheduled for 10/28/17. I was given an ID number and told to create an account via “Hangouts” if I didn’t already have one and to get in touch with the hiring administrator Ms. Rebecca Larson using her Hangouts ID to begin my on-line interview. Once I did – she immediately began my on-line interview which lasted over 1 1/2 hours. I was then told I had gotten the job with a company called Intersil Corporation and would be making $28 per hour – working 35-40 hours per week in Augusta, GA. The office would not be opened until 11/20/17 so I would have to work from home until then, which was okay, but I would have to check in every morning by 8 AM. They would be sending me a check to purchase the computer software I would need to do my work and once I received the check, I would need to deposit it in to my bank and email a copy of the deposit slip to her. The Employment Acceptance letter looked legit – I showed it to my husband before I signed it and sent it back. Thankfully my youngest son is computer savvy, he found this site before I actually deposited the check to the bank.
This morning when Ms. Larson contacted me to see if I had deposited the check yet, I told her I had no intention of depositing the check until I actually spoke to someone in the HR department at Intersil Corporation and made sure I actually had a job with them. Needless to say, I haven’t heard back from her since.
Same thing happened to me this week, and i just deposited the check yesterday… What should i do now?
I see this happened to you in June, did that check clear? You can report this to your State Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. I hope everything is okay. Take care, Becky.
Just happened to me also. Received a check for almost $8,500. For software and laptop for an Australian/Canadian company Named Galaxy. Took the time to interview me for an hour on google hangouts. They said that They are opening a branch in Las Vegas and they will have me strictly working from home and checking in via google hangouts until the office is ready on December 11. All the forms looked legit so they almost had me fooled. But if something seems to good to be true it usually is. To mess with them, I️ told them I️ was at the bank and they were questioning the check and wanted me to file a report. Didn’t hear back after that!
I have the same problem, I start looking for a job and then someone emailed me that I’m hired, and my first assignment is that deposit the check that they going to send me, luckily my friend was had the same experience and told me it’s a scam, but after that they start texting me and emailing me from 4 different number, and sending me checks, I don’t know how they are, and I don’t know how to get rid of them.
I already deposited 3 checks and cashed it out and deposited to different bank of them. I’m so worried, what should I do now?
Went to jail trying to cash PCH’S CHECK
I’m going through the same thing. I received a check for a little over $2600. Was suspicious and called the company, sure enough it was a scam the company said. I reported and filed a complaint already. Now I’m just not sure what to do with the check? Can I just throw it away?
I’ve experienced the same. Please tell me where you filled a complaint?
I just had this job scam happen to me. It is a legit company…I checked on google. Houzz design inc. The person who contacted me is real…but why would the owner of such a large company contact me directly? Even thoughI was a little weirded out by the contact and interview method…I thought maybe this new tech way was common for some. Not HR? I did the “interview via Google Hangouts (text). Needless to say I “got the job”. Training is via text too. I did “training” for two days when the check comes. I wasn’t asked to cash and send money to anyone…at least I didn’t get that far in the scam. The check was supposed to be my sign on bonus and my money for my first week of training. Mind you my pay is $32 dollars an hour. The rest was for equipment for my “mini office”. I still have this out of country check and is afraid to cash it. I dont know how or where to start a complaint or case against these people.
This is happening to me right now. Funny thing is i don,t recall applying to Houzz. Was it legit or was it a scam afterall?
I wanted to comment, because I fell for this scam as well. Luckily, I was smart enough to contact HR during my “interview” with the company. I didn’t use the link in their emails to navigate to their website. Instead, I just Googled F5 and found their real website. I called HR and immediately the HR rep was able to confirm that I was not interviewing with their company and they are aware of this scam. They are putting together information with their legal team so they can pursue these scammers at some point in the future – so if you have any information that you believe is relevant you should forward it along to the real F5.
The crazy thing about this scam is that whomever is behind this is impersonating real people that work for F5. Ryan Lee is actually someone that works for the real F5 company, but that is not the person you’re speaking with for F5 Networks (the sham company). I did all my research on this company before I interviewed and nothing related to this scam came up. I even looked on here and didn’t see anything (my interview took place during September 2015). I will say that there were red flags all over this and my gut feeling initially told me not to bother, but I was so desperate to find a new job I didn’t listen.
Here are some tips: 1) Never directly apply to a job using job boards (Even reputable boards like Indeed or Monster) IF you can, always apply directly on the employer’s website. Always research — Chances are that if you find a listing for a position on a job board that’s not listed on the employer’s website then it’s fake. 2) Never conduct a job interview via chat. There are legit companies that only offer phone interviews or video interviews via (Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype). However, I’ve never heard of a legit employer doing an interview via chat (text) only. That’s weird. 3) Always check the email addresses of the recruiters or hiring managers. If they are using a yahoo, gmail, etc (personal) email extension they more than likely don’t work for the company. 4) It doesn’t heart to contact HR to ensure you’re actually speaking to a representative of the company. DO NOT use the email address or contact information found in the emails. Instead look up the company in the white pages or Google the company. You can also check sites like BBB.org. 5) Always ask questions during your interview. It’s unacceptable for a recruiter or hiring manager to not ask if you have questions or not be able to answer your questions.
Hope this helps!
Edit – I interviewed during September 2016. Based on the comments I can see that this scam has been going on for a while. Luckily I didn’t give any personal information beyond my name and address to these scammers. I saw this post on the front page of the blog today, wish I would have seen it there or had it come up in your search bar last month.
Thanks so much to everyone for chiming in here and sharing your stories. I am sorry this happened to you, but please know that your warnings will help prevent it happening to others. Again, thanks!
Got a check for $2987 after ‘getting the job’ with T West LLC out of NYC today. VERY Happy to have found this post. It is tempting to want to cash it. I have been applying to tons of stuff online esp indeed. Paperwork as decribed in article – contract (shoddily drafted) and I-9. Texts from guy as well as email – deposit check then more instructions to follow. Shredding now…
I was nearly snared by the very same job with the people spoofing F5 Networks.
I applied for the Remote Data Entry position on 08/31/16 and was contacted to schedule an interview on 09/06/16. The interview took place on 09/12/16 and I received notification via email on the morning of 09/13/16 that I’d been hired. It was also stated that I would receive the necessary paperwork within the next couple of days that would need to be filled out carefully.
As you might guess, I was elated. I went to the very reputable Work At Home website upon which I found the ad for the job, intending to send an email to the site owner to thank her for posting the ad that led to me finding my ideal job. There wasn’t an email address on her Contact Page, so instead I went to Twitter with plans to contact her there. Before I could do so, however, I had the idea that I should also start following the Twitter feed of my new employer. Imagine my shock when the very first Tweet visible on the F5 Careers Twitter feed read:
The @F5Networks “Remote Data Entry” job opportunity is a scam, do not apply or share personal information with sites publicizing this job.
I thought I’d done my due diligence. I researched F5 Networks on Glassdoor, the email address(es) from which I received the information looked legitimate, and I’ve had job interviews via chat before (had one just a couple of weeks ago, actually, with Needle.com) so even that didn’t seem out of the ordinary to me.
I was heartbroken, and then I got mad. I went to the actual F5 Networks website to obtain the email address to their corporate office and, for the next couple of days afterward, corresponded with someone there working with the Legal and Security team to help investigate those who started the scam and hopefully make it extremely difficult for them to do this again. When the paperwork arrived for the “job” on the morning following the interview, I immediately forwarded it to Legal and Security and was advised to have no further contact with the scammers…as if I would, even though I wanted SO badly to tell them off.
DO NOT WORK FOR NEEDLE. They are an extremely shady company. I am currently there and this is my last week. Everyone is pretty much getting a slap in the face and a HUGE pay cut. We are going from an average of $17/hr (up to $25/hr during the holidays) to just $2/hr! That is insane. And to top it off, the change was very sudden. Whenever there are questions about anything, they will take weeks to answer you and then they give you the run around. The company is terrible and I highly suggest you stay away.
This happened to my landlord who refused to listen to me that it was a scam.
They advertised that they wanted to rent a room in america, they were an international student that would be starting school soon and they’d send the check for deposit+first month’s rent via mail. They refused to send a copy of ID or to video chat, they refused to say what city the college they were attending was in and didn’t know it’s address. I said don’t do it, that’s a scam. So she gave her address anyway for them to mail the check and they mailed it, signed by their “american sponsor”, not them. The check looked light printing and smudged and the bank didn’t exist when I googled it, so I said this is obviously fake. I tried to get her to call them, but she said I was being too suspicious.
Then the “international student” e-mailed her (refused to speak on phone) and said oops I gave you too much, can you cash it and send some back to me so I can afford my ticket. I said this is a SCAM, don’t cash it and don’t send her money! So of course she cashes it because she thinks i’m being too judgmental to the poor international student. I begged her to wait a few days for the check to clear before she withdrew any money, so she did.
So the bank calls her 3 days later saying this check is fake!! She called the “bank” that it came from and they weren’t a bank, they were a processing/manufacturing facility and they had been aware of the scammer the entire time and told her she should have called them first!
I’d love to give people the benefit of the doubt, but when it comes to money, you can’t do that these days. There are too many people who seem legitimate but they are scammers. Be careful!! If anything about a transaction seems suspicious, it probably is!!!
I recently received a check from a scam company I tried to cash it not knowing it was a scam and the store didn’t cash it but are trying to put fraud on me can I get into trouble if it wasn’t cashed .
I’m not sure. You may want to check with your local law enforcement, explain what happened, and see. Sorry this happened to you!
Same happened to me and I deposited the check. The bank blocked my account for now. What will happen to me now?
I was scammed by one of those secret shopper sites. Actually I’m an online student and received a check that had a schools name on it. I really thought it came from my school and tried to cash it. Of course I was refused and found out it was fake that way. Can I go to prison for false pretense?
I doubt it, Angela. I think that probably happens a lot … the bank probably already knew you didn’t realize.
so some ppl owed us money and for he gave me a check with my name on it but it was for a company and never work there in my Life and stupid of me try to cash at the bank they called the police and they came over and was asking where we got this check and gave the name of the ppl come to find out theres no one that name now I have to go to court and I”m scared that I might be locked up I have never got in trouble with the Law for over 14yrs but is afraid that they might judge me from my past you know
Thank goodness I found your website and read about this scam. I did receive a check that’s supposedly going to be for a laptop and software to use in working for this company. I questioned the “team” hiring person and she said I had to send the money to the vendor, not them. Off and on for over a month she kept giving me the run around and never really answered my questions in any way that made sense to me. At that point I figured it was a scam but hadn’t seen anything online about any scame regarding this company. When I got it, there’s no name, address or anything but a stamped signature and an account number so, assuming at that point it was probably some sort of scam, I’ve been putting off doing anything with the check.
I will definitely get in touch with oDesk and let them know also.
Thanks so much for this valuable information.
Charlene
I’m glad you found this, too! Yes you are correct in thinking it’s a scam. I wish those people could be stopped. Definitely report to oDesk, too.
For those not familiar with how they operate I am sharing an email I received this morning:
Master Shopper ✆ agent. recruitment@ mit. 12:55 AM (9 hours ago)
to me
* You have been selected for an assignment as a Mystery Shopping in your area.
* You will earn $200 being a Mystery Shopping.
* Your employment packet will include funds for the shopping.
* A full job description will be sent to you before your assignment.
Payment check or money order would be in a certain amount which you would
be required to cash a your Bank, deduct your salary, and have the rest used for
the evaluation at the store that would be given to you for evaluate.
We would like you to participate because it’s fun and rewarding. After you send
your info below, we will get back to you shortly with an assignment when one is available.
Provide the following details if you interested.
Full Name:
Contact Address(Not Po.Box):
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone Number (Cell/Home):
Current Occupation:
Gender/Age:
Email Address:
As a Mystery Shopping you will Work and Have Fun at the same time, shopping
for pleasure, and you only need work 2-3 hours twice in a week. Please note that
is a part time Job. We await your good response, Thank you!
Note: Candidate from USA & EUROPE are allowed to apply for this Offer.
BEST WISHED And REGARDS
Ms. MOLLY CUMMINS
Anna is right the best prevention is education…
Thank you for sharing that Jim. That’s a great example of one to stay away from.
Something similar happened to me when I posted an ad selling a car hauler trailer. A guy answered my ad from out of the country and told me some bull story about someone owing him money and this person was forwarding the check to me to take out for the car hauler and then I was to send him the rest. LMAO the check was for $6000 I was only selling the car hauler for $2000. I was fortunate that I saw through their scam but I did play along with them until I got the check. I will say also they are good at their craft. The check they sent was a cashiers check drawn on Bank of America and it looked perfect in every way. I was told this is why they are so successful as it fools even the tellers when you deposit it, its that good but once it goes through the system they catch it but by then if it worked right they have a good chunk of your money. A lot of these people work out of Nigeria as the laws there are so lax they can get away with it. They must make money at it or because I get at least 3 or 4 emails a week with some kind of scam or another. If they send out 100 emails and get even 1 or 2 of those they are doing good.
A friend of mine once got something like this…or an offer. She called me excited that a Mystery Shopping Company was asking her to do a shop wiring money!! It was like you said, she was to send a portion of it as a wire transfer and the rest was hers for doing the shop as a mystery shopper for Western Union I believe.
Someone is always out to take advantage of us!
Yeah, it’s hard to believe people are still falling for this scam, but they are. Some people just get a check in the mail and don’t think twice about doing whatever is asked to get the money, even if the instructions seem odd. It’s really sad to think people take advantage of others in this way, especially those who are already so desperate 🙁
I’ve read the experiences of so many people on work-at-home mom message boards that got burned by these scams. It’s heartbreaking for someone desperate to find work to not only get scammed, but also get into legal trouble.