Workplace and rental scams

Newcomers, people whose English is not yet sufficient, and those concerned about their status are frequent targets of fake job offers, wage theft, and fake rental listings. This page explains the signs of job and rental scams, the worker rights you have regardless of your immigration status, document abuse, discrimination in renting a home, and the steps to take if you are scammed. For general worker rights, see 5.5 Worker rights; for tenant rights, see 10.3 Renting a home.

• Asking for money to get a job: According to the FTC, honest employers, including the federal government, never ask for money to give you a job.
• Upfront-fee "placement" firms: Honest firms generally have the employer, not the candidate, pay their fee.
• Sending a check and telling you to "send the excess back": The check will bounce, and the bank will demand the money back from you.
• Reshipping jobs: According to the FTC, receiving packages and reshipping them overseas is never a real job.
• "Work little, earn a lot" work-from-home offers.
• Promises of federal or postal jobs: Applying for these jobs is free; an offer that asks for a fee is fake.
• Job offers received by email from abroad: According to USCIS, they may be scams, especially if money is requested. Even if the offer is real, you cannot work without work authorization.

According to the worker rights brochure published in Turkish by the U.S. Department of State:

• Fair pay: Your employer must pay you for all the work you do. For work exceeding 40 hours per week, most jobs pay 1.5 times the regular rate.
• Prohibited deductions: Employers generally may not deduct from your pay or require you to pay for uniforms, safety equipment, tools, materials, or recruitment fees.
• Your documents remain with you: You must always be able to access your passport, visa, and identity documents; no one may keep them from you.
• Debt bondage is prohibited: No one may force you to work to pay a debt or prevent you from leaving by changing the terms of the debt later.
• Retaliation is prohibited: Your employer may not fire you, mistreat you, or cut your pay because you exercised your rights.
• Leaving a job: If your employer is mistreating you, you do not have to stay in your job. Consult an attorney about the effect this may have on your visa.

• The Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) enforces laws prohibiting:
  • discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment for pay;
  • unfair document demands during employment authorization verification (Form I-9 and E-Verify);
  • retaliation or intimidation against people asserting their rights.
• If there is a mismatch in E-Verify (Tentative Nonconfirmation): Your employer must give you a "Further Action Notice" in English and, if necessary, with a translation. When you contest the mismatch, you will receive a Referral Date Confirmation; contact DHS or SSA within 8 federal business days after receiving it. DHS hotline: +1 888 897 7781 (TTY +1 877 875 6028).
• If you choose not to take action to resolve the mismatch, your employer may fire you.
• For forms completed when starting a job, see 5.4 Starting a job.

• How they work: Scammers copy photos from real listings and repost them with their own contact information, or list homes that are not for rent—or do not even exist.
• Warning signs (FTC):
  • pressuring you to make a quick decision;
  • saying that the "landlord is abroad" and refusing to show the home;
  • requesting payment by wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram), gift card, or cryptocurrency;
  • rent that is much lower than rents in the area;
  • the same address listed on other sites as "for sale" or under another owner’s name;
  • asking for your Social Security number, a photo of your driver’s license, or a screenshot of your credit score before a lease agreement.
• According to the FTC, payment by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency is like sending cash; once the money is gone, it usually cannot be recovered.

• The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in renting and sales based on national origin, religion, race, sex, familial status, and disability.
• National-origin discrimination may be based on the country where a person was born or where their ancestors came from.
• If you believe you have experienced discrimination, you can file an online complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), or file a lawsuit in federal or state court.

1. Contact the institution you paid immediately and ask to reverse the transaction:
   • bank transfer or Zelle: your bank;
   • payment app: the app itself;
   • Western Union or MoneyGram: the transfer company;
   • credit or debit card: the number on the back of the card;
   • gift card: the issuing company; keep the card and receipt;
   • cryptocurrency: the exchange or ATM operator.
2. If you sent cash by mail, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service immediately: +1 877 876 2455.
3. If you gave out your Social Security number, report it through IdentityTheft.gov and get a recovery plan.
4. Report it to the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. For a rental scam, also report it to local police, the website where the listing appeared, and your state attorney general.
6. If you were not paid, call the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division: +1 866 487 9243.

• Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) — unpaid wages, overtime, prohibited deductions: +1 866 487 9243
• Department of Labor general line / workplace safety (OSHA) complaints: +1 866 4 USA DOL
• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) — seeking rights with a union and coworkers: +1 844 762 6572
• Department of Justice IER worker hotline — document abuse and discrimination: +1 800 255 7688 (TTY 711)
• E-Verify DHS hotline: +1 888 897 7781 (TTY +1 877 875 6028)
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 888 373 7888
• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov or +1 877 382 4357

• Paying a fee to find a job, for training, or for a "certificate."
• Cashing a check from someone you do not know and sending back the "excess."
• Leaving your passport or documents with an employer "for safekeeping."
• Sending a deposit without seeing the home or meeting the landlord in person.
• Paying rent by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency.
• Failing to report wage theft because you are concerned about your status.

• I do not have work authorization; can I seek help for unpaid wages? According to the State Department’s Turkish brochure, worker rights apply regardless of your immigration status; you can call the WHD (+1 866 487 9243) about wage issues. Consult an attorney about risks related to your status.
• My employer is keeping my passport. You must always be able to access your documents. Call the Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 888 373 7888.
• There was a mismatch in E-Verify; what happens? Your employer must give you written notice. If you do not take action to resolve the mismatch, your employer may fire you. If you believe there was an unfair practice, call the IER hotline: +1 800 255 7688.
• The landlord says, "I am abroad; wire the deposit." According to the FTC, this is a typical sign of a scam.
• They refused to rent to me because I am Turkish. National-origin discrimination is prohibited; you can file a complaint with HUD.
• I was scammed; can I get my money back? Contact the institution you paid immediately. Payments made by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency usually cannot be recovered.

• Rights of temporary workers – Turkish brochure (State Department)
• FTC – Report fraud
• IdentityTheft.gov – Report identity theft
• Department of Justice IER – Information for workers
• E-Verify – Worker rights
• HUD – Housing discrimination complaint
• Related: 5.11 Looking for a job · 10.3 Renting a home · 12.8 Consumer rights