12. Watch Your Back

Here's something nobody warned me about.

The moment you're laid off and visibly looking, you become a target.

Scammers watch for it. A fresh open-to-work banner, a public post about being let go, a CV newly uploaded to the job boards.

It signals someone who's anxious, moving fast, and hoping for good news. That's exactly the person a fraudster wants.

While you're out there hustling, keep one eye on your own back.

The tells

Most job scams share a family resemblance once you know the shape.

• An offer that turns up out of nowhere for a job you never applied to.
• A recruiter who only ever talks over WhatsApp, Telegram, or text and never a company email.
• A hiring process that's suspiciously fast and flattering, all yes and no real interview.
• Pay that's too good for the work.
• Sloppy details, an HR email on a free account, a company domain that's almost but not quite right.

And the hard line, the one that catches even sharp people when they're tired and hopeful: a legitimate employer will never ask you to pay for anything. Not equipment, not training, not a background check, not onboarding fees.

Money flows to you, never from you. Anyone reversing that arrow is running a scam, full stop.

The ones aimed at the desperate

A few specific plays worth knowing by name.

• The overpayment scam, where they accidentally send you too much for equipment and ask you to refund the difference, and the original payment later bounces.
• The data harvest, where a fake offer collects your bank details, passport, and PPS or Social Security number under the banner of setting up payroll.
• And the newer, slicker versions, AI-generated company sites that look real, and even deepfaked video interviews.

The polish is getting better. The underlying ask, your money or your identity, is not.

The rule that keeps you safe

Slow down and verify independently.

Found the recruiter on LinkedIn? Go to the company's actual website yourself and check the role and the person exist. Never use the contact details they gave you, find your own. Never hand over financial or identity documents before you have a real, verified offer from a real, verified company.

If something feels off, it is. Desperation makes us override that instinct. Don't.

One thing to do this week

Before you reply to any unexpectedly good opportunity, do one ninety-second check: find the company independently, confirm the person works there, and confirm the role is real.

If you can't confirm all three, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise. That habit alone will save you from almost all of it.

Try this prompt:

Here's a job offer or recruiter message I've received: [paste]. Act as a fraud-spotter. List the red flags and any genuine green flags, tell me exactly how to verify the company and the person independently, and tell me what information I should refuse to hand over at this stage. Assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.