90% of “remote jobs” in your DMs are fake. Here’s how I filter in 30 seconds. Last month a “US company” offered me $500/week to post ads. Red flag 1: They used Gmail, not a company domain. Red flag 2: “Pay ₦15k for registration.” I blocked them. My friend paid. He’s still waiting for the job. Real remote companies have 3 things. Check for them before you waste data. 1. A website you can Google. Type the company name + “scam”. If nothing comes up, check LinkedIn. No LinkedIn page with real employees? Fake. 2. A contract before work starts. If they say “start now, contract later,” you’re the product. Legit companies use Deel, Remote.com, or DocuSign. 3. Payment through Wise, Payoneer, Deel, or direct bank — not gift cards, not crypto, not “pay to get paid.” If they want you to pay first, you’re the customer, not the staff. Bonus: Ask “Can we do a Zoom call?” Scammers will give excuses. Real hiring managers jump on calls. Desperation makes you blind. Verification makes you paid. I keep this checklist in my notes. Before I reply to any job DM, I run it. Takes 30 seconds. Saved me ₦100k+ in scams. Save this. Send it to one person who’s job hunting today. The only thing worse than being broke is being broke + scammed.
