Avery Smith illustrating the dangers of job scams, featuring a shocked individual and a suspicious email about a data entry position. The email highlights warning signs of fraudulent job offers.

🚨 The Data Job Market Is a Scam

February 25, 2026•4 min read

These scams are everywhere. And it's not just happening to beginners. Every week, I get several fake job offers in my inbox.

The scary thing? They’re really compelling. They use real people's names and real company logos.

But behind every one of these emails is someone trying to steal your money or your identity.

For example, here's the email I got:

"Dear Avery, I hope you're doing well. My name is Mike Desantic and I'm a talent acquisition specialist in the aerospace industry with GE Aerospace. I came across your profile and wanted to reach out based on your strong background in data science, analytics, and data engineering..."

It kept going. Everything was accurate. My skills. My background. My past jobs.

It felt like someone actually researched me.

And that's the trick. They DID research me. These aren't lazy scammers anymore.

So how did I know it was a scam? We’ll get to that in a second.

But first, what are they trying to get from me?

The 3 things they want from you

These scammers have 3 main goals.

1. They want you to pay for something.

Maybe it's a background check. Or a certification. Or "home office equipment."

They'll say things like:

"You need to buy this laptop from our special vendor, and we'll reimburse you later."
"There's a small fee for your background check."
"You'll need to complete this certification course before starting."

All lies. Real companies pay for this stuff themselves.

2. They want you to cash a fake check.

This one's sneaky.

They send you a check for "equipment" or "software." You deposit it. It clears (or so you think). Then they say we sent you too much on accident, please send some back.

A week later, the bank realizes the check was fake. Now YOU owe the bank all that money. And the scammer is gone.

3. They want your personal info.

Social Security number. Date of birth. Bank account details.

They use this to steal your identity, file fake tax returns in your name, open credit cards, or sell your info to other scammers.

Real companies don't ask for this stuff until AFTER you've had multiple interviews and they're actually ready to hire you.

So, how do you stay safe?

How to spot a fake in 60 seconds

To save you time, money, and stress, here's my quick checklist. If you see even ONE of these, run.

The email domain is wrong. It's @gmail, @outlook, or a weird version like google-careers.com instead of google.com. This is the easiest and most common giveaway. That’s how I knew my email from the GE guy was fake.
The "interview" is text only.They say the interview is text only. No voice. No camera. Just chat.
They ask for money.Any request for you to buy equipment, pay for a certificate, or cover a background check is a deal breaker.
It's too good to be true.The salary is wildly high, or they offer you the job after a single 15 minute chat.
They ask for sensitive info too early. No one needs your Social Security number or bank details until you've signed an official offer letter and are filling out HR paperwork.

The job hunt is tough enough without dodging these traps. But by staying careful and checking these simple things, you can protect yourself from 90% of the scams out there.