Job and Money Mule Scams: Fake Work-From-Home Offers

A flexible, work-from-home job that pays well and asks little sounds perfect, especially for retirees looking for a little extra income. Scammers know this, and they post fake jobs that either steal your money through fake checks or quietly use you to move criminal money, which can put you at legal risk as a “money mule.”

This guide explains how job and money mule scams work, shows a real example, and gives you ways to tell a real opportunity from a trap.

What it is

A job scam is a fake employment offer designed to take your money or your information. A money mule scam is a version where the “job” is to receive and forward money or packages, which actually launders proceeds from other crimes. The worker may not realize they are part of a crime until it is too late.

These scams prey on trust and the desire to be useful. The “employer” is friendly and professional, and the early tasks feel legitimate.

How it works

1. You receive or find an offer for an easy, flexible, well-paid remote job, sometimes after sharing a resume online.
2. You are “hired” quickly, often with no real interview.
3. The job involves handling money or packages: depositing checks and sending part of the money on, “processing payments,” or reshipping goods.
4. The checks are fake and bounce after you have already wired your own money, or the funds and packages you forward are stolen, making you a money mule.

A classic version sends you a check to “buy equipment” or “test a service,” tells you to keep some and send the rest back, then the check bounces, leaving you owing the bank.

A real example

Gloria, 64, applies for a remote “administrative assistant” role she saw online and is hired the same day by email. Her first task: deposit a $3,800 check for “office supplies,” keep $300 as her first pay, and wire the remaining $3,500 to a “vendor.” She does. Days later the check bounces as counterfeit, the $3,500 is gone, and her bank holds her responsible for the full amount. The “employer” has vanished. Gloria was used to move money and left holding the loss.

By the numbers

• Job and employment-agency scams are among the fastest-growing fraud categories reported to the FTC.
• Fake check scams remain common, and because banks make funds available before a check truly clears, victims often lose their own money (FTC).
• The FBI runs ongoing campaigns warning the public about becoming an unwitting money mule (FBI).

Red flags to watch for

• A job offer with no real interview, or one that finds you out of the blue.
• Tasks that involve depositing checks and sending money back, or reshipping packages.
• Being asked to use your own bank account to receive and forward money.
• A check for more than expected, with instructions to return the difference.
• Pressure to act fast and pay for “equipment” or “training” up front.

How to protect yourself

1. Be skeptical of any job that asks you to move money or packages, or to deposit checks and send part back.
2. Never wire or send money based on a check until it has truly cleared, which can take weeks, not days.
3. Do not pay for a job, including “equipment,” “training,” or “background check” fees.
4. Research the company independently and verify the offer through official channels.
5. Protect your information. Scammers harvest resumes and contact details from job sites and data-broker sites. Removing your information from broker sites, which a privacy or data-removal service can do for you, reduces unsolicited fake offers.
6. If anything feels off, ask a trusted person before you deposit a check or move money.

If you’ve already responded

Contact your bank immediately, especially if a check is involved, and explain what happened. Stop all further transfers. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov. If you unknowingly moved money for someone, reporting it promptly also helps protect you.

In the news

• FBI report: internet crime losses hit a record in 2025 (AARP)
• FTC issues annual report on protecting older adults

Sources

• FTC: Job Scams
• FTC: Fake Check Scams
• FBI: Money Mules
• FBI IC3: Elder Fraud