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Step 6: Learn the Red Flags of Side Gig Scams

ByWalter Briggs
Start Here · Step 6 of 6

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Printable PDFScam red-flag checklist

When you start looking for side income, you will see plenty of offers that sound wonderful. Work from home. Set your own hours. Good pay for easy tasks. Some are real. Many are not.

Scammers know that people over 60 are often looking for a little extra money, and the losses are serious. According to AARP’s summary of the FBI’s 2025 internet crime report, Americans age 60 and older reported losses of $7.7 billion, about 60% more than the year before.

The good news: most side gig scams follow the same few patterns. Once you know them, they are much easier to spot.

Red flags to watch for

The Federal Trade Commission lists these warning signs on its job scams page:

  • They want money first. The FTC says honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job. That includes “starter kits,” training or certification fees.
  • They send you a check and ask you to send some back. The check will bounce later, and you will owe the bank the full amount.
  • They ask you to buy gift cards. A real job never pays you, or asks you to pay, with gift cards.
  • They want you to receive and reship packages. The FTC says reshipping is never a real job. The goods are often bought with stolen cards.
  • The pay sounds too good. Thousands a month for a few hours of easy work is almost certainly a scam.

A few more to add: anyone who asks for your bank login, your Social Security number before you’ve checked them out, or wants you to recruit friends to earn money.

Before you say yes

  1. Slow down. Scammers push you to decide today. A real offer will still be there tomorrow.
  2. Search the company or person’s name online, with the words “scam,” “review” or “complaint.”
  3. Talk it over with someone you trust: a friend, a family member or a neighbor. A second opinion helps, and it gives you time to think.
  4. Look for work through sources you know, such as the official job sites the FTC suggests, like CareerOneStop and USAJobs.gov, or your local library or senior center.
  5. Never pay anything up front to start earning.

If something already happened

Don’t feel embarrassed. These schemes fool careful people every day. The FTC suggests these steps:

  • If you paid, contact the company you used to send the money (your bank, card company or payment app) right away. Report the fraud and ask if it can be reversed.
  • If you shared personal information, watch your accounts closely for signs of identity theft.
  • Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. Online crimes can also be reported to the FBI at ic3.gov.

Real side income usually starts small and slow. That’s normal, and it’s a good sign.

Sources

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