Free tool
Is this gig legit?
Got a job offer by text, a “task” job that wants a deposit, or a recruiter you can't place? Check it against the red flags the FTC and FBI warn about. Nothing you enter is saved.
1. Look up the company
See whether the company is one of the gig platforms in the GigFish directory.
2. Check what happened
Tick every statement that applies to this offer.
No red flags checked
Check every statement that applies. Even with no red flags, follow the steps below before you share personal details.
How to check any gig in five minutes
- 1
Go to the company yourself
Type the company’s web address yourself, or use the link on its GigFish profile, instead of clicking a link from a message.
- 2
Find the opening on the official site
Real gig platforms list their openings or sign-up page on their own domain. If the role only exists in a chat, walk away.
- 3
Contact the company directly
Use contact details from the official website, not the phone number or email the recruiter gave you, and ask if the offer is real.
- 4
Search the name with "scam"
Search the company name with words like "scam", "complaint" or "review", and read our guides for popular platforms.
- 5
Never pay to get paid
No honest employer charges you to get a job or asks you to deposit money to withdraw earnings.
Task scams are growing fast. The FTC says about 20,000 people reported them in the first half of 2024, compared with about 5,000 in all of 2023, and reported job scam losses topped $220 million in that half year (FTC Data Spotlight). For platform-specific advice, read our guides on whether AI training is a legit job and paid research studies, or browse real gig companies on GigFish.
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<a href="https://gig.fish/tools/job-scam-checker">Job Scam Checker: is this gig legit?</a> (free, from GigFish)Sources
- FTC: Job Scams (March 2023)
- FTC: Looking for a job? Scammers might be looking for you (January 2023)
- FTC: How to spot and avoid task scams (August 2025)
- FTC Data Spotlight: Paying to get paid (December 2024)
- FBI IC3: Scammers Defraud Individuals via Work-From-Home Scams (June 2024)
This checker is general guidance, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 5, 2026.