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Indeed scams

Last updated September 18, 2026

The short answer

Job scams on Indeed follow a pattern: a remote role, an interview by text or chat, a fast offer, and then either a cheque to deposit and forward, or a request for your Social Security number and bank details before any real onboarding.

Job seekers are an ideal target: they are supposed to hand over personal information, they expect to be asked for identity documents eventually, and they are often financially stressed enough to overlook something odd. Indeed removes fraudulent listings, but volume makes some inevitable, and the most effective ones impersonate real companies — so verifying the company tells you nothing about the person messaging you.

How Indeed scams work

  1. 1

    Text and chat interviews

    The whole process happens over text, Telegram or a chat app, with no video and no voice. This exists so the "recruiter" never has to be a specific person.

  2. 2

    The equipment cheque

    You are hired and sent a cheque to buy a home-office setup from a specified vendor. The cheque clears provisionally, you send the money, and it bounces a week later. You owe the bank the full amount.

  3. 3

    Identity harvesting

    Onboarding requires a Social Security number, a driving licence photograph and bank details for direct deposit — before any verified offer. That package supports credit fraud and fraudulent unemployment claims.

  4. 4

    Company impersonation

    Real companies' names and logos are used, with email domains that are subtly wrong. The company is genuine and knows nothing about it.

Warning signs

  • The interview is conducted entirely by text or chat
  • An offer arrives after minimal or no real interviewing
  • You are sent a cheque and asked to buy equipment or forward money
  • You are asked for a Social Security number or bank details before a verified written offer
  • The recruiter's email domain is not the company's real one
  • The pay is well above market for the work described
  • You are asked to pay for training, equipment or a background check

Examples

The $4,200 equipment cheque

A new "remote data analyst" receives a $4,200 cheque to buy equipment from a named vendor, and forwards $3,600 by Zelle. Nine days later the cheque is returned as counterfeit. The bank reclaims the full $4,200 and the account goes $3,600 negative.

Onboarding before the offer

A candidate completes a chat interview and is asked to fill in onboarding forms with a Social Security number, a photograph of her licence and direct deposit details. No offer letter ever arrives. Four months later an unemployment claim is filed in her name in another state.

What to do

  • Insist on a video or phone interview. Refuse text-only processes.
  • Verify the recruiter by calling the company's published main number.
  • Never deposit a cheque from an employer and forward money. No legitimate employer does this.
  • Give a Social Security number only after a verified written offer, through official onboarding.
  • Never pay for training, equipment or a background check.
  • Report fraudulent listings to Indeed — they remove them.

Report it to Indeed

Report the job listing and the employer through Indeed support. Also tell the real company being impersonated — they will want to know.

Our step-by-step guide: Indeed

Getting your money back

A bounced employer cheque leaves you owing the bank; tell them immediately and explain the fraud, as some banks will work with you, and file a police report and an IC3 report to document it. If identity data was given up, place free credit freezes at all three bureaus, file at IdentityTheft.gov, and watch for fraudulent unemployment claims — job-scam data is used for those specifically. Tell the impersonated company, which often has a security team tracking it.

Frequently asked questions

Why do fake employers send cheques?

Because banks must make funds available before a cheque finally clears — often within a day or two — while discovering a counterfeit can take a week or more. The gap is the scam. You send real money against a fake deposit, and you are liable for the full amount when it returns.

When should a real employer ask for my Social Security number?

After a verified written offer, as part of documented onboarding, usually on a W-4 or I-9. Not during an interview, not to "run a background check" before an offer, and never by chat message. Direct deposit details come later still.

The company is real. Doesn't that make the job real?

No. Impersonating a genuine company is standard practice, because the candidate looks it up, finds it exists, and is reassured. Check the recruiter's email domain character by character and verify by calling the company's published main number.

Other companies scammers impersonate

Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about Indeed, these are the guides worth reading next.

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