Fake jobs share a handful of tells, and once you know them they are hard to miss. Watch for: pay that sounds too good for the work (“$500 a day, no experience”), being “hired” over text or chat app with no real interview, sloppy spelling in the offer, a manager who only communicates through Telegram or WhatsApp, and pressure to act right now.

Another big one: they reach out to you out of the blue about a job you never applied for, then move fast to get your information or money.

What to do: Treat urgency and secrecy as warning signs, not good luck. Slow down, and look up the company’s real website and phone number yourself. A real employer is happy to wait a day while you check them out.