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Protection guide: Employment Scam Hub
Reviewed by ScamReporting Editorial · Editorial standards
Reported July 2026 — Editors flagged elevated reports of summer internship recruiting across U.S. consumer hotlines and reader submissions.
Quick answer
If an “internship recruiter” email or text asks for an upfront fee, wants you to deposit a check, or pushes you off the company’s official hiring process, treat it as fraud. Real employers do not require gift cards, crypto, or “background check” payments to interview.
How This Scam Works
- Too-good offer: A message claims you’ve been “selected” for a paid internship with flexible hours and high pay.
- Fast-track pressure: They say the role will be filled today and ask you to “confirm” by replying immediately.
- Fake paperwork: You receive a link to a form or a PDF “offer letter” that collects SSN, address, DOB, and bank details.
- Money angle: Common setups include an upfront “background check,” “equipment fee,” or a fake-check deposit that you’re told to forward elsewhere.
Red Flags
- They won’t interview you, or they “hire” you via text-only chat
- They want a fee for a background check, training, or equipment
- They send a check and instruct you to buy gift cards or crypto, then send codes
- The email domain is slightly off (extra words, hyphens, or a free email provider)
- The recruiter refuses to communicate through the company’s official careers page
What To Do
- Don’t pay any fee to apply, interview, or start work.
- Verify the company by navigating to its official site yourself (do not use the link in the message) and finding the job listing on the careers page.
- Paste the message into our Scam Checker to spot common fraud patterns.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to our Report a Scam page.
Want a deeper checklist? See our guide on employment scam warning signs.
Reminder: ScamReporting.org is an independent awareness platform — not law enforcement. If you sent money or shared SSN/bank info, see recovery steps.