Where Job Scams Happen Most - 2026 Study - SmartReads by SmartAsset

For job seekers, the search for a new role now comes with an added source of stress: determining whether an opportunity is real or an attempt to exploit their need for work. Employment scams rank among the most common types of consumer fraud, and they’re on the rise, according to the Better Business Bureau. Scammers use career boards, social media and generative AI to impersonate recruiters and promote fake openings that may appear legitimate. These scams frequently promise flexible hours and unusually high pay to lure victims into providing personal information, making upfront payments or granting access to financial accounts.

SmartAsset analyzed the two most recent years of Federal Trade Commission data categorized as job scams to identify where reports increased the most. The study also measured how common these reports were in each state.

Key Findings

The frequency of reported job scams increased in every state. South Dakota saw the largest year-over-year increase, with reports rising by nearly 85%.
Job scammers may target people facing a difficult labor market. Nevada had the highest annual unemployment rate in 2025. It also had the highest rate of reported job scams that year, at approximately 502 reports per 1 million residents.
Low unemployment may have a modest correlation with fewer reported job scams. The six states with the fewest reported employment scams per 1 million residents all had unemployment rates well below the national average.
Young adults report job scams more often than other types of fraud. While many scams target senior citizens, job scams are the most commonly reported fraud category among 18- to 34-year-olds.

Expert Insight

“Job seekers should always be cautious. Common warning signs are poorly written advertisements, recruiters who avoid video conversations, being asked to pay fees or share sensitive information, or offers that come fast and with high salaries. These types of scams have become more prevalent with hybrid and remote work.”

— Gilbert Michaud, PhD

Gilbert Michaud studies clean energy workforce development at Loyola University Chicago and is a Faculty Affiliate at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. SmartAsset spoke with this expert to add outside perspective; they did not participate in the study’s analysis, methodology or findings.

States With the Biggest Increases in Job Scams

1. South Dakota

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 215.7

• Reports in 2025: 194

• Reports in 2024: 105

• Year-over-year increase: 84.8%

2. Maine

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 257

• Reports in 2025: 354

• Reports in 2024: 207

• Year-over-year increase: 71.0%

3. Alaska

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 263

• Reports in 2025: 193

• Reports in 2024: 117

• Year-over-year increase: 65.0%

4. North Dakota

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 197.6

• Reports in 2025: 154

• Reports in 2024: 99

• Year-over-year increase: 55.6%

5. New Hampshire

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 278.9

• Reports in 2025: 387

• Reports in 2024: 253

• Year-over-year increase: 53.0%

6. Alabama

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 299

• Reports in 2025: 1,511

• Reports in 2024: 1,042

• Year-over-year increase: 45.0%

7. New Mexico

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 279.9

• Reports in 2025: 592

• Reports in 2024: 411

• Year-over-year increase: 44.0%

8. Oklahoma

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 277.8

• Reports in 2025: 1,110

• Reports in 2024: 778

• Year-over-year increase: 42.7%

9. Kentucky

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 262.3

• Reports in 2025: 1,183

• Reports in 2024: 835

• Year-over-year increase: 41.7%

10. Arkansas

• Reports of job scams per million residents: 276

• Reports in 2025: 837

• Reports in 2024: 592

• Year-over-year increase: 41.4%

Methodology

This analysis examined fraud reports submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2024 and 2025, the most recent years available. Reports categorized as “Job Scams and Employment Agencies” by the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network were aggregated by state and used for the analysis. States were ranked by reports per 1 million residents in 2025 and by the percentage increase in reports from 2024 to 2025. Because FTC data reflects reported incidents rather than all fraud, actual fraud levels may be higher, and differences in reporting behavior may affect comparisons. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.