Anatomy of a fake hiring process, step-by-step analysis of the email + Teams chat, and exactly how to spot this trick next time.
Date of exchange: August 7, 2025
Role offered: “Remote Data Entry / Admin Assistant” ($30/hr training → $35/hr after)
Channels: initial email → Microsoft Teams text chat
The short version
I got an email saying my resume was “approved” for a remote data-entry job. I joined the Teams invite, answered a text interview, and was congratulated and “hired” on the spot. A few messages later they said the company would mail me a check to buy expensive equipment (MacBooks, printers, special software) that a “vendor” would install. I felt weird about that, questioned it, and ultimately told them it sounded like a scam — then I reported it to the FTC and told the real company.
I didn’t lose money. Still, looking back I see the red flags I kept brushing off. I want to tell the whole story so others can recognize this exact pattern.
You can see all the evidence I've been gathering here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1100aQE6cYMCxjrnCER6mzIDXfGHtgPNV?usp=sharing
Timeline (condensed)
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Email received with subject: “Great news! Your resume has been reviewed and accepted” — asked me to join Microsoft Teams and message an HR manager.
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Joined Teams and answered text-based interview questions.
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Immediate congratulations and job offer in chat.
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They asked for address/phone/bank name to “ship paperwork and equipment.”
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They listed very expensive hardware & software and said they would mail a check to cover it.
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They asked me to deposit the check and send a screenshot of the deposit confirmation (with account number hidden).
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I pushed back and linked the FTC fake-check article. They attempted reassurances, then stopped responding after I called it out.
Email — what it said (and why it’s suspicious)
Subject: Great news! Your resume has been reviewed and accepted
Key things in the email:
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Generic greeting (“Dear Candidate”) — not personalized.
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High-sounding hourly pay for a low-barrier role.
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An invite link to Microsoft Teams and an interview code / Teams ID — no official company email or domain mentioned.
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Inconsistency in names: it told me to connect with Ms. Abigail Hudson but then to message Ms. Colston once connected.
Why these matter (red flags)
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Generic greeting / no company domain: Legit employers usually use company email addresses and personalize messages. Generic salutation + no company domain = impersonation risk. I brushed it off then, but I should have listened to my gut.
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Too-good-to-be-true pay: High hourly rates for entry-level remote work are a lure. That’s classic bait. I brushed it off then, but I should have listened to my gut.
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Platform + codes instead of a formal email/offer letter: Real hiring flows include an offer letter from a corporate email and HR contact info. A single Teams invite + “Interview Code” feels like theater. I brushed it off then, but I should have listened to my gut.
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Mismatched names / sloppy details: Telling you to message two different people is sloppy and suspicious. Real HR teams are consistent. I brushed it off then, but I should have listened to my gut.
The Teams chat — where the scam became explicit
Reading the chat shows a deliberate playbook. You can read the screenshots in the link provided above:
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Text-based Q&A “interview” that looks like a screening but is fast and scripted.
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Praise + congratulations immediately after the “interview” — fast trust-building (“CONGRATULATIONS!”, “Welcome to our Online Team!”).
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Request for address, phone, and bank name so they can “ship paperwork and equipment.”
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Detailed list of very expensive hardware & software (MacBook Pro, iMac, barcode printer, Parallels, SQL Server, QuickBooks, etc.) — these specifics create a believable veneer.
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Promise to send a check by mail to cover equipment, instructing me to deposit it and send a screenshot of the deposit confirmation.
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Instructions that sound “official” (tracking number, vendor will install software, you’ll sign W-2/I-9 later, meeting at local library), but they avoid any official, verifiable company email or HR number.
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When I questioned it, they tried to reassure me via Teams text and then stopped engaging after I called out the fake-check pattern.
Red flags in the chat (and again — I brushed them off)
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Immediate offer and “start-up paycheck”: If someone hires you instantly right after a quick text Q&A, that’s rare in real corporate hiring. I brushed it off then, but I should have listened to my gut.
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They’ll “mail you a check” and ask you to deposit it: This is textbook fake-check scam behavior. They intend for you to deposit a counterfeit check, then send the money onward before the bank reverses the deposit. This signaled an alarm.
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Request to buy through a “certified vendor” and to pay them: If a so-called employer asks you to purchase equipment from a vendor and forward funds, run. Real companies either ship equipment directly or reimburse after verified payroll processes. This was definitely not standard procedure.
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Too-specific hardware + odd platform choices: Asking for Macs to run Parallels or VirtualBox even though the software runs on Windows is inconsistent and suspicious. This didn't make sense, and so I told them.
How the fake-check equipment scam works (so you can see the math)
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Scammer “hires” you quickly to build trust.
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They say the company will mail you a check to cover “start-up” or equipment costs.
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You deposit the check; the bank may provisionally credit the funds.
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Scammer tells you to pay the vendor (or send part of the funds elsewhere), sometimes asking you to buy gift cards or wire money.
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A week later the bank discovers the check is fake and reverses the deposit. You’re responsible for any money you withdrew or forwarded.
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Scammer disappears; victim loses real money.
If you never deposit the check or never send money onward, the scam fails. You did the right thing by questioning it and refusing to send money.
Concrete checklist — how to spot this exact scam (quick reference)
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Did the email come from a free/odd domain (gmail, yahoo) or an unbranded Teams invite instead of a corporate HR email? → Red flag. Trust your gut.
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Did they hire you extremely quickly (hours) after a short text interview? → Red flag.
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Are they asking you to buy equipment or deposit a check and forward funds? → Red flag (fake-check trick).
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Are job responsibilities vague for unusually high pay? → Red flag.
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Are names/titles inconsistent across messages (e.g., two different HR names)? → Red flag.
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Do they refuse to communicate via a verified corporate channel (company email or phone number you can confirm on the company website)? → Red flag.
If you see any of the above: stop, verify independently (call the company using a phone number on their official site), and never deposit checks or send money.
What I did right — and what I told myself afterwards
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Saved the chat and exported the Teams conversation. ✅
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Refused to deposit or send money. ✅
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Reported to the FTC and notified the real company. ✅
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Questioned the logic in real time (asked why a check instead of direct payment, why Mac-only setup, etc.). ✅
Still, I kept thinking “maybe they’re legitimate” in small moments — I brushed off my intuition a few times and let the conversation continue. In hindsight I should have hung up the second the check-mail purchase story came up. That pause could have prevented the stress and the need for reporting. I keep reminding myself: next time, listen to the gut sooner.
What you should do if this happens to you
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Stop communicating with the sender.
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Do not deposit any checks from unknown sources. If a check arrives, call your bank and ask what they advise — but don’t wire or forward funds while the check is pending.
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Save everything (emails, chat logs, PDF exports).
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Report to your national fraud agency (in the U.S. — FTC/IC3), the platform used (Microsoft for Teams invites), and the real company whose name was used.
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Notify your bank if you gave any account details or worry about fraud.
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Warn others where the job posting appeared (LinkedIn, job boards, Facebook groups).
Final thoughts — trust your instincts
Scammers are getting better at sounding professional: job descriptions, corporate lingo, “training phases,” and fancy equipment lists. But the core tactics are the same — create urgency and a reason to move money quickly. Every time I felt uncomfortable, I shrugged and continued a little longer. Each one of those moments was a chance to stop earlier. If you get that uneasy feeling, listen to it.
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