What if they say I will be reimbursed for the equipment?

Still a scam. 'Buy it now and we will reimburse you' is the standard cover story for the advance-fee scam. The reimbursement never arrives, or it arrives as a fake check that later reverses. A real employer ships you equipment or provides a company account; it does not ask you to front the cost to a vendor it chose.

Is it normal to pay for my own background check?

No. Legitimate employers pay for the background checks they require, and they run them through a named screening company after a written offer, with your consent. Being asked to pay for your own background check during recruiting is a scam tell.

They want me to buy specific software or a 'training course' to start. Real?

Treat it as a scam. Requiring you to purchase particular software, a certification, or a paid training course from a named seller in order to begin work is a way to extract money or funnel you to an affiliate. Real onboarding uses the company's own tools and training at no cost to you.

Why is paying to get hired always a scam?

Because employment is an exchange where the employer pays the worker. Reversing that - making you pay to be allowed to work - has no legitimate business reason. The FTC is explicit that honest employers do not ask you to pay for the promise of a job.

Do I have to pay for training or equipment?

This is one of the few questions in a job search with a flat, no-exceptions answer. You should never pay to get a job. Not a small fee, not a refundable deposit, not a "you will be reimbursed" purchase. The moment a job requires money out of your pocket to begin, it is the advance-fee scam.

The shapes it takes

Scammers dress the upfront payment in whatever sounds reasonable for the role:

Training or certification you must buy before you can start.
Equipment - a laptop, a headset, a "secure" phone - you are told to purchase from a specific vendor.
A starter or welcome kit for a remote role.
A background check or "processing fee" you are asked to cover yourself.
Software or a subscription required to do the work.
A deposit that will supposedly be returned in your first paycheck.

The cover story varies; the structure does not. Money leaves you before any money reaches you.

The rule, with no exceptions: if you must pay to start, it is a scam. "We will reimburse you" does not change this. The reimbursement either never comes or arrives as a fake check that reverses later, leaving you out both amounts.

What a real employer actually does

Legitimate companies treat the cost of equipping you as their cost of doing business. They ship you a laptop, set up a company account, provide training on their own systems, and pay for any background screening they require - after a written offer, through a named provider, with your consent. If reimbursement is involved, it is for expenses they asked you to incur on their account, processed through real payroll, not a wire to a stranger.

The FTC puts it plainly: honest employers do not ask you to pay for the promise of a job.

How to respond

You do not owe anyone a payment to be considered for work. If asked, decline and verify:

"I do not pay to start a job. If this role is real, I am happy to proceed through your official onboarding once I have a written offer."

Then confirm the company independently: find the role on the employer's official careers page, check the recruiter's email domain, or paste the message into the free checker. A real employer will not lose your application over this. A scammer will pressure you or move on.

If you already paid, act quickly - the steps are in I already gave a scammer my information or money - what now?.