Pay-to-Get-Paid Scams via Email
How email-delivered job offers require victims to pay registration, training, or membership fees with the false promise of earning it back through work.
Part of: Pay-to-Get-Paid Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Pay-to-get-paid schemes rely on a simple, persistent lie: that a small upfront investment unlocks a legitimate income stream. Email is the ideal delivery channel because it allows scammers to craft personalised-looking pitches, include forged documentation, and follow up with convincing onboarding sequences — all at near-zero cost.
Targets often receive multiple emails that mimic the stages of a real hiring process: an initial offer, a welcome letter, a 'contract' to sign, and finally an invoice or payment request disguised as a registration fee, ID verification charge, or tool-access payment. Each step deepens the sense of commitment before the financial ask arrives.
The scam is especially effective against people who are unemployed or financially pressed, because the income promise feels urgent and the fee amount is calibrated to seem like a manageable, returnable investment.
How this scam works on email
An email sequence begins with a congratulatory job offer for a vague remote role. Follow-up emails arrive mimicking HR communications, including links to fake employee portals and attached PDF contracts with professional formatting. Eventually an email arrives asking for a one-time registration fee, background check payment, software licence, or uniform deposit to complete the onboarding.
Payment is requested by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency — all non-reversible. Once paid, the 'employer' may request additional fees for further steps: an advanced training module, insurance bond, or work-from-home certification. When the victim stops paying or asks when work begins, contact ends abruptly.
In more elaborate versions, victims are walked through a detailed onboarding with fake colleagues, training materials, and even a simulated first paycheck that bounces.
Common red flags
- Any job that requires payment before you receive your first paycheck
- Fees described as 'refundable deposits' or 'reimbursable on first pay' with no written guarantee
- Multiple sequential fee requests that arrive after each step of a fake onboarding process
- Contract documents that look professional but lack real company registration details
- Payment requested via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- No phone number or physical address for the hiring company
How to protect yourself
- Verify the company on your country's official business registry before any engagement
- Never pay any fee to start a job — legitimate employers do not charge workers to begin employment
- Search the exact company name plus the word 'scam' before responding to unsolicited offers
- Decline any job that cannot provide a verifiable physical address and registered company number
- If you have already paid, contact your bank or card provider immediately to attempt a reversal
How to report it
- File a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov (US), Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk (UK), or your national cybercrime authority
- Report the sending email address and domain to your email provider as phishing
- Notify your state or provincial consumer protection office, especially if a business name was used fraudulently
Frequently asked questions
Is it ever normal to pay a fee before starting a job?
No. Legitimate employers do not charge workers for registration, training, uniforms, or background checks before the employee has earned any wages. Any such request is a strong signal of fraud.
What if the email includes a signed contract — is that proof the job is real?
Anyone can create a convincing-looking contract document. Always verify the company independently through official business registries and a direct phone call to a number you find yourself, not one provided in the email.