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Safety

Stay safe from job scams. On both sides of the hire.

Most job scams ask you to pay, offer commission-only pay, or move the chat to Telegram or WhatsApp. A real job never costs you money to get. Fake applicants go after employers too, so here are 12 tricks we see and what to do about them.

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For jobseekers · 6 scams

Scams by fake or unethical employers

One rule covers most of these: a real job never costs you money to get.

  • Unpaid test task

    They ask for a big sample before hiring: a 2,000-word article, a full campaign, a working feature. Then they vanish and use your work.

    Warning signs

    • The task would take hours or days
    • No pay is mentioned, or "you'll be paid after you're hired"
    • They want the finished files, not a draft
    • Many people seem to get the same task

    What to do: Offer a short sample, or ask for pay up front. A real test task is small and paid. If they refuse, walk away.

  • Pay to get hired

    You're "hired", then told to pay for training, a certificate, onboarding, or equipment from their own vendor. Sometimes they send a check to cover it, and it bounces.

    Warning signs

    • Any fee before your first paycheck
    • You must buy a laptop or software from one seller
    • A check arrives and they ask you to send some of it back
    • They want your ID, bank or e-wallet details before any interview
    • Pressure to pay today

    What to do: Never pay to get a job. Don't deposit checks from someone you haven't worked for. Report the post.

  • Task scam (pay to upgrade)

    You rate hotels or like videos and a dashboard shows "earnings". Then you must deposit money or crypto to withdraw or "level up".

    Warning signs

    • It starts with a text out of nowhere, sometimes asking you to reply YES, then moves to Telegram or WhatsApp
    • Easy work, fast pay, no interview
    • Small first payouts to build trust
    • The deposit keeps going up

    What to do: Stop at the first request for money. The dashboard numbers are fake. Don't send more to "get back" what you sent.

  • Pay to transfer (account activation)

    A wallet shows a big balance, but you can't cash out until you pay an "activation", "conversion" or "anti-money-laundering" fee.

    Warning signs

    • The balance sits in an app only they control
    • A new fee appears every time you pay one
    • They say the fee is refundable
    • They tell you to keep it secret

    What to do: Real pay arrives in your own account without a fee. Don't pay. Block them and report.

  • Money mule job

    A "payment agent" or "financial manager" role where you receive money and send it on, keeping a cut.

    Warning signs

    • The job is moving money, not doing work
    • Funds land in your personal bank or e-wallet
    • They ask you to open new bank, e-wallet or crypto accounts
    • Vague company, no real team

    What to do: Say no. This is laundering stolen money, and under RA 12010 (2024) it can mean 6 to 8 years in prison and a closed account. If money already arrived, tell your bank and the police.

  • Rent-your-account offer

    Someone offers you a cut to "use" your verified freelance account, your ID, or a laptop they mail to you. They do the work under your name. A November 2025 Security Alliance report found North Korean IT workers posting fake jobs on Philippine job boards to recruit people this way, offering 20% of the earnings.

    Warning signs

    • They want your login, not your work
    • They ask you to install AnyDesk or Chrome Remote Desktop
    • Money for doing nothing
    • A laptop arrives and your only job is to keep it on

    What to do: Say no. Every login, payment and complaint will carry your name, and using someone else's identity is a crime under RA 10175. See Know the law below.

For employers · 6 scams

Scams by fake or dishonest applicants

Most Filipino workers are honest and good at their jobs. A few aren't, and they make it harder for everyone else. Checks are cheap; a bad hire isn't.

  • Job churner

    Someone takes several full-time jobs at once, does the minimum through the first 30 to 90 days, collects the first paychecks, then quits or gets let go.

    Warning signs

    • Slow replies, missed deadlines in week one
    • Always "in another meeting" or offline at odd hours
    • Very quick to ask about pay dates
    • Little real output after weeks

    What to do: Start with a defined first project and a short review at 2 weeks. Pay per milestone early on, and judge by what was delivered.

  • CV stealer

    Someone copies a real professional's resume and portfolio, swaps in their own contact details, and applies as that person.

    Warning signs

    • Can't walk through their portfolio in detail
    • Polished resume, thin answers
    • Public profiles don't match the email
    • They avoid a call

    What to do: Ask them to talk through one project step by step. Look for the Verified Filipino badge. Check the work history against a public profile.

  • Proxy interviewee

    A skilled person takes the interview. Someone else shows up on day one to do the job, or not do it.

    Warning signs

    • The face or voice differs between calls
    • The face blurs or glitches when they turn or raise a hand
    • Camera off after hire
    • Strong interview, weak work
    • A different background each time

    What to do: Use video calls, and repeat one in the first week. The FBI has warned that fake applicants use face-swapping on video, so ask them to turn their head or wave a hand in front of their face. Check IDs. Make sure the person working is the person you interviewed.

  • Synthetic applicant

    AI-made references, fake past employers and an invented work history, built to pass screening.

    Warning signs

    • References reply fast and sound alike
    • The past company has no website or staff
    • Dates and job titles don't add up
    • Every answer sounds rehearsed

    What to do: Call references on numbers you found yourself. Check the company exists. Ask a follow-up that only someone who did the work could answer.

  • Laptop farm

    One person runs many "remote employees" from one place, using VPNs, remote-access switches and location spoofing. In October 2026 the US Justice Department said the FBI had searched more than 40 homes in Texas suspected of hosting laptops for North Korean IT workers. Some of these workers copy company code and later demand money not to leak it.

    Warning signs

    • Login location doesn't match the stated city
    • Remote-access software on the work device
    • Several workers share one internet address or phone
    • Code or files copied to personal accounts
    • Won't show their surroundings on video

    What to do: Ask where they work and why. Give only the access the job needs, check logins and locations, and don't ship hardware to an address you can't confirm. Report suspected cases to the FBI at ic3.gov.

  • Bait-and-switch freelancer

    They win the contract on a stolen CV, then paste your private data into cheap AI or machine translation and hand back poor work. Your data can leak.

    Warning signs

    • Work reads like raw machine output
    • The style is far from their samples
    • Replies that don't answer your question
    • They push you to share files early

    What to do: Put your rules on AI tools and data in writing. Share only what the task needs. Compare the first deliverable with their portfolio.

Voice and face cloning

Don't send recorded video or voice intros to strangers

Some posts ask for a Loom video, a video introduction or a voice sample before any interview. A few minutes of your face and voice is enough for AI tools to clone them, and the FBI warns that criminals use cloned faces and voices to fool employers, banks and families. A fake employer can collect intros from hundreds of applicants and never hire anyone.

  • Offer a live video call instead. You can see who you're talking to, and nothing is left behind.
  • If you must record something, keep it short, show no ID, and send it only to an employer you've checked.
  • Never read out your ID number, birthday or bank details on a recording.
  • Employers: a live interview with on-camera checks reduces the risk of a deepfake applicant better than a recorded intro does. You can hire a vetted interviewer to run one.

Sources

About live interviews

What we do

How PH Online Jobs helps

These checks and rules are built into the site today. No tool catches everything, so use them alongside your own judgment.

  • Verified Filipino badge

    Our team checks the National ID (PhilID) and a selfie of the person holding it.

  • NBI and police clearance badges

    Our team reviews each clearance before the badge shows, and the badge drops when the clearance expires.

  • Risky job posts get flagged

    Posts that ask applicants to pay, are commission-only, or push people to Telegram or WhatsApp get a warning and stay out of Google Jobs.

  • Silence is visible

    You can see when an employer has viewed your application. With no response in 30 days, it goes inactive.

  • We never hold your money

    Workers are paid directly through their own payment links. PH Online Jobs never asks a worker to pay to apply.

  • Report this post

    Something looks off? Use Report on the job post (you need to be signed in), or write to us from the contact page.

Honest hiring

Simple rules for each side

If you're looking for work

  • Never pay to apply, to be hired, or to start. Not for training, not for equipment.
  • Stay on PH Online Jobs until you're hired. Be careful when someone wants to move to Telegram or WhatsApp.
  • Don't deposit checks from someone you haven't worked for.
  • Never receive and forward money for someone else, and never lend, rent or sell your account, ID or SIM.
  • Expect pay for any test task longer than an hour.
  • Look up the company. A real one has a website, a team and a way to reach them.
  • A job that asks you to send photos, go on camera or chat explicitly with fans breaks our rules. Report it.

If you're hiring

  • Pay for test tasks, and keep the first task small.
  • Meet on video before you hire, and again in the first week.
  • Look for the Verified Filipino badge and the NBI or police clearance badges.
  • Start with a defined first project, with a clear deliverable and a date.
  • Call references on numbers you found yourself.
  • Put your rules on AI tools and private data in writing.
  • Keep data on accounts you own, and remove a worker's access the day the work ends.

PH Online Jobs will never ask you to pay to apply.

Philippine law

Know the law

Most scams on this page are crimes in the Philippines. So are a few things workers do when a client stops paying. Here's what the laws say, with penalties as the laws write them.

What workers can be charged with, even in a pay dispute

  • Deleting or locking a client's data or systems

    RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act), Sec. 4(a)(3) data interference and 4(a)(4) system interference

    Wiping files, changing passwords so the client is locked out, or taking their site down is a crime when you had no right to do it. Being owed money doesn't give you that right.

    Penalty: Prision mayor (6 years and 1 day to 12 years), a fine of at least ₱200,000 up to the damage caused, or both (Sec. 8).

  • Logging in after the job ends, or passing on a client's passwords

    RA 10175, Sec. 4(a)(1) illegal access and 4(a)(5) misuse of devices

    The law counts access as "without right" when you go beyond the authority you were given (Sec. 3(h)), so an old login you still remember is off limits. Selling or sharing a password so someone else can get in is misuse of devices.

    Penalty: Illegal access: same as above. Misuse of devices: prision mayor, a fine of up to ₱500,000, or both.

  • Selling, leaking or misusing client data

    RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act), Sec. 32 unauthorized disclosure and Sec. 28 unauthorized purposes; RA 10175, Sec. 4(b)(3) identity theft

    Handing personal data to a third party without consent, or using it for something the person never agreed to, is a crime under the Data Privacy Act. One gap: that Act doesn't cover data first collected from people abroad under their own country's law (Sec. 4(g)), although the National Privacy Commission says processors here must still keep it secure. The cybercrime law has no such gap, and your client's country has its own laws.

    Penalty: Unauthorized disclosure: 1 to 3 years and ₱500,000 to ₱1,000,000 (3 to 5 years and up to ₱2,000,000 for sensitive data). Identity theft: same as Sec. 8 above.

  • Renting out your account, ID or SIM

    RA 10175, Sec. 4(b)(3) computer-related identity theft; RA 11934 (SIM Registration Act), Sec. 11

    Whoever works under your verified name is using identifying information that isn't theirs, and every login, payment and complaint points back to you. Selling or handing over a registered SIM without the required registration is its own offense.

    Penalty: SIM sale or transfer: 6 months to 6 years, ₱100,000 to ₱300,000, or both (Sec. 11(g)). Registering a SIM with a fake identity: 6 months to 2 years, ₱100,000 to ₱300,000, or both (Sec. 11(d)).

  • Letting someone use your bank or e-wallet account

    RA 12010 (Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, 2024), Sec. 4(a) money muling and Sec. 5

    Receiving, moving or withdrawing money you know comes from a crime, through your own account or one you borrowed, makes you a money mule. E-wallets count. Buying or selling an account is a separate offense.

    Penalty: Money muling: 6 to 8 years, ₱100,000 to ₱500,000, or both, and the court orders the account closed (Sec. 16). Buying or selling an account: 4 to 6 years, ₱100,000 to ₱200,000, or both.

What the law protects workers from

  • Fees for a job that doesn't exist

    Revised Penal Code Art. 315(2)(a) estafa; RA 10175, Sec. 6

    Taking your money by pretending to offer a job, training or equipment is estafa by false pretenses. When it's done online, the penalty goes one degree higher. Charging for a job promise without a DOLE or DMW license can also be illegal recruitment (Labor Code Art. 38), but those rules were written mostly for placement agencies and jobs abroad, so ask the agency which charge fits a work-from-home case.

    Penalty: Estafa's penalty depends on the amount taken (brackets updated by RA 10951 in 2017), one degree higher when done through a computer or phone.

  • Tricks to get your OTP, PIN or login

    RA 12010, Sec. 4(b) social engineering

    Pretending to be a bank, an e-wallet or anyone else to get your login details, then getting into your account with them.

    Penalty: 10 to 12 years, ₱500,000 to ₱1,000,000, or both. Life imprisonment when 3 or more people conspire or 3 or more people are victimized (Sec. 4(c)).

  • Misuse of your ID and selfie

    RA 10173, Sec. 28 processing for unauthorized purposes

    A fake employer who collects your ID "for onboarding" and uses it for something else is breaking the Data Privacy Act, which fully covers Filipinos' data. Government-issued ID numbers count as sensitive personal information (Sec. 3(l)).

    Penalty: 2 to 7 years and ₱500,000 to ₱2,000,000 for sensitive information.

If a client doesn't pay you

Not paying for finished work is usually a breach of contract. That makes it a civil matter, not a crime, and the fix is a written demand and, if needed, a claim for the money. It can become estafa when the "client" lied from the start to get the work out of you, for example a company that doesn't exist. See the payment dispute steps below.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and the facts of each case matter. For your own situation, talk to a lawyer or, if you qualify, the Public Attorney's Office.

Sources

Payment disputes

Not paid? Don't touch the data.

Deleting a client's files feels like justice and turns you into the one facing a criminal case. Here's what works better, and how employers can keep disputes from starting.

If you're a worker who hasn't been paid

  • Keep your records: the agreed rate in writing, invoices, time logs, chat history and proof of delivery.
  • Hand back the logins and files the client gave you. Don't delete, rename, lock or hold anything back as leverage.
  • Send a written demand: the amount, what it's for, a due date and how to pay you.
  • Tell us through the contact page with the job link and your records. We never hold workers' money, so we can't release a payment, but we'll look at the employer's account.
  • If the client is in the Philippines or has a business here, small claims court handles money claims up to ₱1,000,000, and you don't need a lawyer for the hearing.
  • If they lied from the start, such as a fake company or a faked payment receipt, report it as fraud to the agencies below.

If you're hiring

  • Keep company data on accounts you own: your email domain, your cloud drive, your code host, your password manager.
  • Give each worker their own login with only the access the job needs. Never share your admin password.
  • Remove access the day the work ends, and change any password the worker knew.
  • Pay on the dates you agreed, in writing, and raise problems in writing before you stop paying.
  • Watch for code or files copied to personal accounts. The FBI has warned that some fake remote workers steal code and later demand money not to leak it.
  • If a worker in the Philippines deletes or holds your data, Philippine courts can hear the case: RA 10175 Sec. 21 covers offenses where any part happened here, or that a Filipino commits anywhere. Keep the logs.

Where to report

Report it to the people who can act

Tell us too, so we can look at the post or account. If you lost money or data, a police or agency report is what banks and courts ask for later.

In the Philippines

  • CICC Inter-Agency Response Center

    Call 1326, the national anti-scam hotline. cicc.gov.ph

  • PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group

    Report online or at any police station. acg.pnp.gov.ph

  • NBI Cybercrime Division

    NBI hotline (02) 8523-8231. nbi.gov.ph

  • National Privacy Commission

    For misuse of your ID or personal data. info@privacy.gov.ph, (02) 5322-1322. privacy.gov.ph

  • Your bank or e-wallet

    Call them first if money left your account or you gave someone your OTP or login.

Employers abroad

Government agencies don't charge to recover lost money. The FBI warns that "recovery" offers for a fee are a common way to scam the same victim twice.

FAQ

Questions about scams

Common questions

The law and payment disputes

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