How to spot international employment scams

Right at the airport, all packed and ready, you discover that your ticket is fake and the job offer doesn't exist. Or you do make it to your new destination only to learn that you will not be working in the well-matched position you applied for but doing repetitive factory work in a very questionable industry. And yet, this is exactly what happened to a large number of people in recent years who fell victim to work abroad or remote work job scams.

"Hospitality" job offers from Russia

Today's job market is brutal. Even the numbers describing it are scary. Hiring rates in the United States in 2025 fell to 3.5% – the lowest level since 2011. And job openings are as few as they were in early 2021. MarketWatch says that the average length of unemployment today is 26 weeks, and many candidates send out up to 200 applications before getting an offer.

But while job offers in most of the world are in decline, Russia is actually experiencing a lack of workers — but in very specific positions. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, the country has lost a sizeable part of the workforce, and with urgent positions to fill, some companies and industries are resorting to recruiting abroad — but as the positions they are recruiting for are in the military, they are not doing it in a transparent way. Quite the contrary.

How it works: Young women (mostly 18 to 22) in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia started seeing posts in their social media feeds about "exciting cultural exchange opportunities" in Russia. And these ads didn't look like traditional "boring" job posts. They showed happy young women in modern dormitories attending language classes and traveling. The offers sounded more like international work exchange programs than standard employment. Applicants were promised free flights, accommodation, language classes and a salary that was higher than the average locally. The ads were also tailored to each country where they would appear, focusing on what young women from that particular region would find appealing. Some offered career opportunities in hospitality, others promised positions in the sports industry, and more.

In reality, the job posts were recruiting workers for the manufacturing company Alabuga Start in Tatarstan, which was seeking a cheap workforce to assemble the Geran-2 Russian military drones.

The head of diplomacy in South Africa issued a statement warning young people, especially girls, against falling for unverified job offers abroad.

In Brazil, several TikTok influencers were involved in promoting the fake job offers from Abalyga Start. When the investigation revealed these posts were recruiting people to work on demilitarised front manufacturing, these posts were removed. TikTok also issues a statement acknowledging the problem: "TikTok is a place where you can learn from and engage with a wide variety of topics, and we don't want anyone to take advantage of the desire to engage and explore new topics. That's why we don't allow any attempts to scam, trick or defraud people. This includes financial or employment scams or fraud of any kind. We actively enforce these policies through a combination of proactive detection, user reporting, and ongoing investigations, and we remove accounts and content that violate our rules. We continue to invest in measures to combat deceptive behavior and promote a safe and authentic environment on our platform."

LinkedIn is no longer safe

Over the years, LinkedIn has built a reputation for being an effective and safe place to look for work online. These are not anonymous job posts from random companies on social media. Each post is tied to a specific profile, recruiter, company, or alumni. These are verified accounts and people you can interact with in real time. But today's scammers have found a way to exploit this platform as well. Criminals clone real recruiters' profiles, copying everything from their employment history down to their posts on LinkedIn. Some create entire fake identities using AI.

How it works: One popular scam involves a fake recruiter offering a high-paying remote position with minimal requirements. The job interview is generally managed on WhatsApp or Telegram (or another informal channel). During the application process, the candidate is asked to share personal information, which can later be used for identity theft. In some cases, the scammer goes on to request that the applicant purchase work equipment from a specific vendor; they may even send a check to cover these expenses, even though it will later bounce.

A number of such cases were reported by Business Insider in 2025. In one example, a job seeker replied to a remote transcription job post that looked perfectly legitimate. They were then contacted by a recruiter on LinkedIn to complete the hiring process. But once hired, the happy new worker was soon asked to buy work equipment from the "company-approved vendor." The check they received from the company later bounced, leaving the worker responsible for a purchase of thousands of dollars.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has warned that scammers regularly impersonate well-known companies on LinkedIn and other job platforms to steal money and personal information from job seekers.

Some cases take this beyond financial fraud. In June 2026, intelligence agencies in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand warned that Chinese intelligence operatives were posing as recruiters on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork. Apparently, fake recruiters would approach government employees and academics with offers of well-paid research and consulting work. The hiring process itself looked completely legitimate, with interviews and paid assignments. At the beginning, the work itself looked perfectly reasonable as well. But over time, the employees were asked to share sensitive local information under the pretext of consulting work.

Interestingly enough, it's not only the employers who can be fake on LinkedIn. There are fake employees as well. Companies, including Amazon, have reported receiving resumes with stolen identities, AI-generated roots, and even hijacked LinkedIn accounts.

What makes these types of scams particularly dangerous is LinkedIn itself. A lot of the time, we automatically attach a level of professional credibility to the people we meet on this platform. But this is the sad thing: a clean profile, lots of connections, and detailed work history no longer guarantee that the person behind this profile or company page is who they claim to be.

AI-generated job ads

AI has made job hunting for a lot of people much more complicated, simply by "competing" for the same positions. But ironically, it has made fraudsters' jobs easier. Before AI, creating a fake job offer, company website, and maintaining an online presence required some effort. Now, AI can do much of this work in minutes.

The numbers speak for themselves. According to Lloyds Bank, the number of active job scams increased by a scary 237%. And according to the digital bank Monzo, over 10,000 of their customers were targeted by job scams in 2025.

How it works: In 2025, the recruitment platform CV-Library issued a warning that scammers were using AI tools to create fake job posts on the platform. These posts impersonated recruiters from famous companies, including Spotify and Meta. Interested applicants who clicked "Apply" were then redirected from the platform to a fraudulent website that would collect their personal information and login credentials.

Another common scam is CV reviews. The author of this article in The Guardian describes receiving an almost-perfect opportunity in journalism from a headhunter who matched her experience and career history almost to the T. The recruiter seemed professional and very knowledgeable about the industry. Everything in the job offer made sense — up to a point when the recruiter recommended a paid CV review service. In this case, the applicant did not lose any money nor was her information stolen (as far as she knows) — but she was robbed of something really valuable in today's fast and difficult job market — her time.

Easy remote tasks scam

Remote work has become increasingly popular over the past few years. And it has shown a lot of people just how many opportunities exist in the job market that do not require leaving the house. Today's work scams capitalize on that by posting offers that promise good money for liking YouTube videos, rating products on Amazon, or writing simple reviews for services online. This work sounds effortless and doesn't require any specific skills. Once you apply, you will likely be asked to continue the process on WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook.

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), task scams are among the fastest-growing forms of employment fraud. The agency reported around 20,000 task scam complaints in the first half of 2024, compared with fewer than 500 in all of 2021. Victims lost more than $220 million during the same period.

How it works: You see a job offer online or get contacted by a recruiter. The work sounds very simple, and the earnings are quick: write a review for a hotel, boost an app's ranking on the Play Store, rate a product on an e-commerce website. A lot of people fall for these because, in theory, these jobs make sense. We are used to hearing about people paying for likes and exposure — so the fact that jobs like these exist doesn't seem suspicious. And with these opportunities, everything may appear legitimate at first. You will be given a few simple assignments, and may even receive a small payment for them. All of this is just part of the bigger plan.

After you've completed several tasks and have successfully revived payments, you may be asked to pay an initially small fee for access to «VIP» tasks that are supposed to make you more money. A lot of people fall for the idea at first, until the scammers start asking for particularly large deposits. These you never get back, and you also never get access to any exclusive pool of offers.

Visa processing fee scams

These scams target those who are specifically interested in building a life abroad. They do this by getting applicants where they feel most vulnerable: the work visa application process.

These scams are especially common in popular destinations for migration, such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and several Gulf countries. These regions are known for having a relatively high demand for foreign workers in specific industries. But they are also known for complicated visa procedures that seem overwhelming to a lot of applicants.

How it works: you may see a post online or a recruiter may rent out, saying that they have access to an exclusive set of overseas employers (red flag moment). They may then go as far as guaranteeing that your visa will be approved and promising a fast track processing for your application. Some scams go as far as to actually provide applicants with fake work permits and accommodation rentals.

For example, in 2025, police in Gujarat, India, uncovered a big immigration fraud operation in which 25 people were cheated out of money with forged visa grant letters, fake flight tickets, and non-existent employment offers.

Australia has issued numerous warnings to job seekers about fake recruiters using real company names. The Australian Commission highlighted one case in particular where scammers offered jobs in construction, engineering, and hospitality (all of which were entirely fictitious). Applicants were asked to pay for visa processing fees, and once they did, the job offers evaporated.

A similar case comes from Thailand. Here, around 250 people lost money to a recruiter who claimed to have “connections” with employers in Australia. Applicants were asked to pay as much as 200,000 baht (around USD$6,000) each for guaranteed positions working in farms, restaurants, and care facilities. Some people only learned that they had been scammed at Bangkok International Airport when their tickets turned out to be invalid.

The money mule job scam

This is one of the oldest – but also one of the most dangerous work-from-home scams. In fact, I even personally received a work offer like this back in 2008 when I was a student on a Work&Travel program in San Diego. Back then, these offers mostly appeared on Craigslist – but today, you may also be contacted directly on social media or job hunting platforms.

How it works: You see an offer of a remote job. The position would typically be advertised as a "financial assistant" or "local representative". You will be asked to receive payments from clients into your personal account, process these transactions, retain a fee for your services, and transfer the rest to “suppliers”.

For those job hunting in today's difficult market, this may be the perfect offer. The work is remote, and you don't need any experience. All you need is to be based in a particular country and have a bank account.

The catch here is that the money usually doesn't belong to the company sending it to you. You are being used as a money mule — someone who (unknowingly) moves stones to fraudulently obtained funds.

According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), this is a rather common practice in the United States. Once the money passes through multiple accounts, it becomes much harder for law enforcement agencies to trace

The FBI points out that the most common targets of such scams are students and new job seekers, often immigrants. They often don't yet have the experience to recognise the job offer as strange or spot any red flags.

When I was approached with this job offer, it came from a fellow Work&Travel participant on Craigslist who said that it was a "great way to make some money on the side". They insisted that since I already had a work visa in the United States, I would not be violating any laws. To a young student working for the first time in a foreign country, this sounded very appealing. The only reason I didn't go ahead with this was a call from my parents, who strongly advised against it.

This scam is the most dangerous as the consequences are much more serious than simply money and time. It can actually result in an arrest and evolve into an actual criminal record.

Crypto job scams

Cryptocurrency and blockchain are relatively new – but also peculiar niches. Peculiar because there are a handful of people who understand them fully, and a lot of people who have heard about their money-making potential. This is why job offers in cryptocurrency can be so… efficient. People who are unfamiliar with the niche can easily believe the high salaries and the somewhat non-standard assignments. And this is what scammers use.

Getting a fake remote crypto-related job offer is one of the most common crypto-related job scams. The job involves completing simple online tasks that come with small payments to build trust. Then you are asked to deposit some of your own money into a crypto account on a specific platform. The platform will show you fake profits and a growing balance. And then, one day, you simply lose access to your account and your supposed earnings.

Both the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued warnings about scams like these. And, according to the FTC, the task scams in just the first half of 2024 resulted in over $220 million in losses.

Illegal call center jobs in Southeast Asia

This is probably one of the largest international recruitment scams. And these are not run by amateur online scammers. They are operated by sophisticated transnational criminal organizations, including Chinese organized crime groups. According to INTERPOL, illegal call centers generate billions of dollars a year.

How it works: Applicants are lured with an offer in customer support, sales, data entry, marketing or IT in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar. The promised compensation is usually high ($1,000-$3,000 per month), and the accommodation and flights are covered. Once the job seekers arrive at the workplace, their passports are often confiscated, and they are forced to participate in online fraud schemes targeting victims abroad.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked and are now trapped in scam pounds in Southeast Asia.

One of the survivors of such a scam explained in an interview with UNODC that everything still looked normal when she arrived at the airport. She was met by "company representatives" who smiled and gave her money for dinner. But the next day, she was already receiving orders from the same people at gunpoint.

Governments of multiple countries in the region regularly conduct raids on illegal call centers. For example, in 2025, Thailand, China, and Myanmar launched a coordinated crackdown on compounds near the border with Myanmar. The raids freed thousands of foreign nationals, many of whom had traveled to the region for jobs in customer service.

Teach English abroad scams

Teaching English abroad is one of the most popular ways to experience working abroad. New graduates often do not see the world before committing to a career, those close to or in retirement see it as an exciting career change, and professional teachers often look into opportunities abroad for better conditions and pay. Because these positions are popular, they become a point of interest for scammers. And there are actually several different scams related to teaching English abroad.

How they work: First, you have the “standard” document fee processing scams. In this case, you will receive a job offer but will be asked to pay money upfront for the recruiter or employer to process your documents. Naturally, once you make the payment, the job itself will never materialize.

Second, there is the "placement fee" scam. This is when someone tells you they can guarantee a job offer with a good school, university or training center – but you need to pay a small reward for their services. Once again, you need to pay upfront, and once you do, you will never hear about the job offer that started this.

Then there is what they call "bait and switch". This is not a scam, technically – but a rather common ploy used by some agencies. In this case, you will be offered a position in a top-tier international school, with good pay and benefits. Just as you think it's all said and done and are ready to sign the contract, the agent will reach out and say that the position you've been offered initially is no longer available. But there is another offer, from a smaller institution, with less pay and probably worse conditions. But since you are already preparing to relocate, they are counting on you to agree and get this less popular position off their hands– and get the commission for finding you from the employer.

Why people still fall for this

We started this article with this very reason. The job market today is brutal. With fewer job offers, AI confusion, and the overall transformation of what careers look like today, those finding themselves looking for work are often ready for anything.

First, we are looking at three different niches of “new”: remote work, crypto work, and AI work. For a lot of people, opportunities in these spheres are not yet fully familiar; they don't know what to expect. Because of this, they are more vulnerable to scam offers – they simply wouldn't recognize them as such.

Second, scammers often target people in other countries who are willing to relocate or are new arrivals. In this case, the target may not be aware of the specifics of working in their desired/new destination. They may not know how work permit processing is handled, which assignments appear legitimate and which are uncommon, and even what could get them in trouble with the law.

Third, scammers are much more sophisticated now than they were just a few years ago. There are lots of tools out there today that make impersonating other people easier. You can create a professional-looking website within a few hours without being a designer, write yourself hundreds of fake references with ChatGPT, and imitate an active presence on social media by generating posts and interactions. Scammers of today can easily bring to life an entire company with projects and employees with minimal effort.

This makes the job market even more complicated. In addition to already being stressed out when looking for work, job seekers now also need to learn how to filter out really convincing fraud offers.

Red flag checklist for jobs abroad

High salary, low requirements

Miracles in today's job market are rare. If you see an offer, especially a remote offer, that promises easy money for skill-less tasks, chances are it's not real.

You need to pay to get the job

Neither a company nor a headhunter should ask you for any payments up front. If they ask you to pay to access “an exclusive pool of offers” or a training course, most likely, this is not a legitimate offer. Most companies would cover your relocation

You are asked for visa/other document processing fees

If the job requires you to move to a different city or country, the company would most likely cover your relocation costs. If you do need to pay for visa processing fees individually, you should make these payments at the proper document processing institutions.

You are promised a guaranteed visa or work permit

No recruiter or company can guarantee that your visa or work permit application will be approved by immigration. If they do, do not follow through with this particular job offer.

You are contacted with an offer that matches your qualifications too closely

Headhunters do try to find the best candidates for the job openings they are working with. But if you are approached with a job description that almost copies your entire work history and education, pay extra caution and take additional steps to verify if it is coming from a legitimate employer.

You are asked to move the hiring process to an informal chatroom

If the hiring manager immediately asks to continue the conversation on WhatsApp or Telegram, this is reason enough to be suspicious. With a real offer, most of the communication usually has to pass through company channels like email – until you go in for an in-person interview.

There is no evidence that the company physically exists

If you have doubts about the job offer, check the company's address and look it up on Google Maps, find the registration number, look up its employees on LinkedIn, and see if there is any digital footprint that is older than a few months.

The employer pressures you to act super quickly

Sometimes companies may be in a hurry to fill a spot. But if you feel pressured into getting on board quickly, especially with wording like “limited spots” or “visa application deadline”, it is very likely that someone wants you to make a decision quickly before you can think it through or verify any details.

The job description is vague

If you can't really explain to yourself what you will be doing, do not accept the job offer. This ambiguity is often intentional and could be masking illegal activity.

The contract is missing basic details

If you are in doubt, have a professional take a look at your work contract. A legitimate employment contract should mention your exact salary, responsibilities, working hours, location, other terms of your employment, employer's details, and more.

Part of your job is receiving or transferring money from your personal account

No “assistant” or “loyalty representative” role should ever require you to handle client payments in your own account. If you get a request like this, you may be unintentionally pulled into a money laundering scam.

And let's sum this up quickly: if a job requires you to pay money, move money, share sensitive information, or make a quick decision before you feel comfortable with it, stop and take the time to investigate further.