THE DAILY SURVIVAL BRIEF • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

Congratulations, You’re Hired! Now Please Deposit This Obviously Normal Check

A stranger interviews you exclusively by text, hires you before learning whether you own shoes, and sends a check for “home-office equipment.” That is not an efficient HR department. That is a scam wearing a lanyard.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers copy real job advertisements, alter the contact information, and repost them on legitimate employment platforms. Customer-service and virtual-assistant roles are common bait. After the fake hiring process, the “employer” may request Social Security or banking information—or send a check and instruct you to purchase equipment or return part of an “overpayment.”

Even if your bank initially shows the money as available, the check can later be identified as counterfeit. You then owe the bank while the scammer keeps the real money you sent. That is a terrible benefits package.

Before sharing sensitive information, find the opening on the employer’s official careers page. Contact the company through a phone number or email address you found independently—not the information supplied by the recruiter.

Sources: FTC Job Scams guidance and FTC warning about hijacked job advertisements, checked September 22, 2026.