Job Offer Text Scams Are Back, and They’re Preying on Hope

By Greg Collier

Scammers love one thing more than anything else: hope.

And right now, there’s plenty of it to exploit.

Millions of people are searching for better pay, flexible work, or a way out of a bad situation. That makes job seekers a perennial target, and once again, scammers are sliding straight into people’s phones with fake job offer text messages.

If you’ve recently received a random text claiming to offer a cushy job from a major company you never applied to, you’re not lucky.

You’re being sized up.

The Hook: A Text Message Out of Nowhere

According to warnings from the Federal Trade Commission, text-based job scams are surging. The latest version is deceptively simple:

You get a text.
Out of the blue.
No application.
No interview.
No context.

The message claims to be from:

  • A recruiter connected to a major job platform
  • Or a well-known brand with “dream job” energy

Names like Netflix, Apple, or Spotify are common bait.

The pitch sounds outstanding.

  • Remote work
  • Minimal effort
  • Extremely high pay
  • Flexible hours

And somehow… they “found your number.”

How the Scam Works

Here’s the typical playbook, step by step:

  1. Unsolicited text arrives
    No prior contact. No résumé submission. No memory of applying.
  2. The job sounds absurdly easy
    Reviewing products for an hour a day.
    Listening to music for money.
    Testing apps from your couch. One documented scam was offering up to $400 a day for “remote product testing.”
    Another scam promised pay just for listening to Spotify tracks. None of it is real.
  3. You’re instantly “hired”
    Everyone gets the job. No interview required.
  4. They ask for sensitive information
    Bank details.
    Social Security number.
    Copies of IDs. Occasionally they even promise an advance paycheck, which conveniently requires your banking info first.
  5. The real theft begins
    Identity theft.
    Account takeovers.
    Drained bank balances. Or malware quietly installed on your device.

What They’re Really After

These scams aren’t about employment.

They’re phishing operations.

Once you engage, scammers push you into:

  • A fake application portal
  • A professional-looking email
  • Or an external messaging app like WhatsApp or iMessage

That’s where they harvest the data they need to impersonate you, access your finances, or sell your information onward.

Red Flags

Some warning signs are old-school but still effective:

  • Typos or awkward wording
  • “Act now!” pressure
  • Links that almost match real companies (think Inedeed instead of Indeed)

But job-text scams have some specific tells you should watch for:

  • You never applied for the job
  • The pay is wildly high for minimal work
  • The description is vague or suspiciously simple
  • You’re added to a group text where others hype the job
  • You’re told to continue the conversation on WhatsApp
  • The number has a foreign country code (+91, +63, etc.)
  • The recruiter uses a Gmail or Yahoo address
  • Googling the recruiter turns up nothing or scam warnings
  • You’re asked for personal info before any interview
  • You’re hired immediately with zero screening

Legitimate employers don’t operate like this.

Scammers do.

“But Don’t Employers Text Now?”

This is where confusion works in scammers’ favor.

Yes, employers can text you.

But there’s a huge difference between:

  • An employer you applied to
  • And a random recruiter texting you out of thin air

Real companies:

  • Don’t hire via cold text
  • Don’t skip interviews
  • Don’t ask for banking info upfront

If you didn’t initiate contact, skepticism is your best defense.

If You’ve Been Targeted

Simple rules:

  • Do not reply
  • Do not click links
  • Do not provide information

Instead:

  • Block the number
  • Mark it as spam
  • Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM)
  • Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Every report helps improve spam detection for the next potential victim.

Final Thoughts

Job scams don’t disappear when the economy improves.

They adapt.

As long as people are looking for work, or even just better work, scammers will keep dangling fake opportunities designed to exploit optimism, stress, and urgency.

If a job offer arrives by text, without an application, interview, or context, it isn’t a blessing.

It’s bait.

And the safest response is no response at all.

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