A dream job with a catch
Fake job scams target people actively looking for work. The "employer" offers flexible, well-paid remote work and skips the normal hiring process, often communicating only by text or chat app.
Soon after "hiring" you, they send a check to deposit and instruct you to buy equipment or gift cards from a specific vendor. The check bounces days later, but the money you forwarded is real and gone.
How the scam works
A message or email offers a job you did not apply for, with great pay and no commute.
Hiring happens over text or a chat app with little or no verification.
They mail or deposit a check for "equipment" and ask you to buy from their vendor.
You spend or wire the funds. The check bounces and you owe your bank the full amount.
What the message looks like
Congratulations! You’ve been selected for a remote Data Entry role at $35/hr. To begin, we’ll send a $2,400 check for your home-office setup. Deposit it and purchase your equipment from our approved vendor.
Fake job scam. FraudScope flags the no-interview hire, the unsolicited offer, and the fake-check-and-vendor structure. Its guidance: a real employer never sends money for you to forward to a vendor.
Warning signs to watch for
- A job offer for a role you never applied to.
- Hiring with no real interview, conducted only by text or chat app.
- A check sent to you that you must use to buy equipment or gift cards.
- Being asked to pay for training, a background check, or supplies up front.
- A company email on a free domain, or a "manager" who avoids calls.
Vet the offer before you bank on it
Paste the offer or recruiter messages and FraudScope names the fake-job archetype and explains the fake-check mechanism in plain terms, so the "deposit and buy equipment" step reads as the trap it is.
Analysis runs entirely on your iPhone and makes no network requests. The only time FraudScope touches the internet is if you tap Inspect URL to check where a link really goes, and it tells you before it does.
Intent reconstruction · Fake-check explainer · On-device
Frequently asked
How do I spot a fake job offer?
Be wary of jobs you did not apply for, hiring with no real interview, and any role that sends you money to buy equipment or forward to a vendor. Verify the company independently through its official website and never deposit a check from an employer you cannot confirm.
Why is depositing the check a problem if it shows in my balance?
Banks make funds available before a check truly clears. When the fake check bounces days later, the bank reverses it and you are responsible for any money you already spent or forwarded.
Does FraudScope send my messages anywhere?
No. Analysis runs entirely on your iPhone with no network connection. The only time it contacts the internet is if you choose to inspect a link’s destination, and it tells you before it does.
Will FraudScope catch every scam?
No tool can. FraudScope is strongest with the full content of a message and weaker with a bare screenshot that has no link or sender. It is a powerful second opinion, not a guarantee. When in doubt, slow down and check with someone you trust.