A Craigslist “gigs,” “jobs,” or “resumes” post offers remote admin work, mystery shopping, warehouse help, or “equipment stipend” roles. The “employer” sends a check or deposit, then asks you to cash it and wire, Zelle, Venmo, crypto, or gift-card part of the money for a laptop, uniform, software license, background check, or “supplier.” The deposit later reverses at Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Ally, Capital One, or your credit union. The money you sent is gone.
This is the classified-ad job cousin of fake job offer deposit scams and fake job and check-cashing scams. Marketplace wire scripts on the same site: Fake Craigslist wire scams. Broader landscape: Credit and debt scams.
How the Craigslist job script works
| Step | What they say | What actually happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “You’re hired—reply by email / WhatsApp only” | No real career page, EIN, or switchboard you can verify independently |
| 2 | “Deposit this equipment / first-week stipend check” | Fake or stolen instrument; provisional credit that can reverse |
| 3 | “Buy a laptop from our vendor / send gift cards for software” | Irreversible send (Gift cards and prepaid risks; Zelle and P2P scams) |
| 4 | Check returns unpaid | Bank reverses the deposit; your balance goes negative |
Real employers pay after work through payroll, buy equipment on company accounts, and do not need you to act as their cashier from a Craigslist reply.
Hard rules
- Do not wire, P2P, crypto-send, or buy gift cards with money that arrived from a new “Craigslist employer.”
- Available balance ≠ final funds. Ask the bank’s fraud line (number on your card or bank site, not the email) how long that check type can still reverse.
- Freemail “HR,” Google Voice-only hiring, and posts that skip a real company domain are tells.
- Upfront “equipment fee,” “badge fee,” or “training materials” paid by you are fraud cues—not onboarding.
Phishing that steals bank logins can run beside these pitches: Phishing and account takeover.
Worked example: the $2,850 “home office kit” check
Sam answers a Craigslist gigs ad for remote customer support. “HR” at a Gmail address emails a $2,850 check labeled equipment stipend. Sam must keep $650 and wire $2,200 to a “Dell reseller” for a laptop and headset, or buy Apple Gift Cards for the same amount.
Sam deposits at Wells Fargo. Funds show available in two business days. Sam wires $2,200. Twelve days later the check is returned unpaid. Wells Fargo reverses $2,850. The wire is gone. Sam owes the bank until the account is restored.
If Sam had refused any job that requires sending money, verified the company on its official site and switchboard, or asked Wells Fargo’s fraud line about check reversal windows before spending a dollar, the loss would not happen.
What to do if you already deposited
- Call the bank or credit union fraud number from the card or official site the same day.
- Report the deposit as suspected fraud; ask whether provisional credit can still reverse and whether related outgoing wires can be stopped.
- Do not send a second payment to “unlock” or “recover” funds—that is a follow-on scam.
- Save emails, envelopes, wire receipts, and chat logs; file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- If you shared SSN or ID images, consider a credit freeze and monitor accounts.
LinkedIn InMails with the same deposit-or-fee pattern: Fake LinkedIn job offer scams. Background-check fee variants: Fake job background-check fee scams.
Checklist
- No legitimate Craigslist (or any) job requires you to deposit a check and send part of it back.
- Treat early “cleared” deposits as provisional until the bank confirms finality in writing.
- Verify the employer on its official site and switchboard—not via the poster’s email alone.
- Refuse gift cards, crypto, wires, and P2P as onboarding or equipment costs.
- Report attempts even when you caught them early; patterns help others.
Educational only. Not legal, banking, or fraud-recovery advice. Scam tactics and bank hold policies change; verify employers and payment instructions through official sources.