How do I avoid paying fake fees to get a remote job or freelance contract?
Legitimate employers never charge fees for hiring, equipment, or training — any 'job' requiring upfront payment is a scam, and any cheque sent before you start work will bounce.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Employment advance-fee scams exploit the large volume of people searching for remote work. The scam follows a consistent pattern: an attractive job offer arrives via email, LinkedIn, or a job board; the hiring process is minimal (often just a chat-based interview); an offer is extended; and before work begins, the 'employer' requests payment — for a background check, a software licence, home-office equipment, or a training course.
A close variant involves the fake-cheque scam: the employer sends an overpayment by cheque and asks you to deposit it and send the difference to a third-party supplier. The cheque appears to clear initially because banks make funds available before full clearing, but the cheque bounces days later and you are left owing the bank the full amount plus any sum you forwarded.
Remote 'jobs' that involve receiving and reshipping packages are another variant. The packages contain goods purchased with stolen credit cards, and you become an unwitting money mule or accessory to receiving stolen property. Legitimate freight and logistics companies do not hire home-based package handlers with no interview.
For freelancers: clients who require an upfront 'platform fee' or 'verification fee' before you can access their project posting are scammers. Legitimate freelance clients pay for work, not for your access to work. Similarly, any client who sends an overpayment by cheque and asks you to forward the excess is running a fake-cheque scheme.
Common red flags
- Job offer requires upfront payment for background check, equipment, or training
- Employer sends a cheque or bank transfer that exceeds the agreed amount and asks for the difference back
- Work involves receiving packages at home and forwarding them to other addresses
- Minimal interview process — offer comes after one text-based exchange
- Freelance platform charges an initial access fee before you can see the project
- Employment tax or clearance fee required before your first paycheck can be released
What to do now
- Never pay any fee to get a job or access freelance work
- If you receive an unexpected overpayment, do not spend or forward any of it
- Verify any employer through the company's official website and a direct call to HR
- Report fake job offers to the FTC and the platform where the offer appeared
- If you forwarded money from a fake cheque, contact your bank immediately
- Visit /recovery if you have already lost money for the full checklist
Frequently asked questions
Why does a bank-cleared cheque still bounce later?
Banks make funds from deposited cheques available before full clearing, which can take several business days. Scammers exploit this delay: you spend or forward money that appears available, then the cheque is returned as fraudulent and the bank debits your account for the full amount.
Is reshipping illegal even if I did not know the goods were stolen?
Knowingly receiving or forwarding stolen goods is a crime, and prosecutors do not always require proof of specific knowledge if the facts strongly suggest it. Anyone hired as a 'package handler' or 'shipping coordinator' by an online-only employer they cannot verify should treat this as a serious legal risk.