Which Generation Is Most Likely to Fall for a Scam Text Promising a High-Paying Job? The Answer Might Surprise You

As generations that grew up alongside the development of personal technology like cell phones, you might think younger Americans would be less susceptible to falling for a scam so simple it’s done through text messages.

However, millennials and members of Generation Z were the most likely to say they had been the victim of a scam where you receive texts about a fake job offer, at 16% and 20%, respectively. That’s more than the 10% of Gen Xers and 4% of baby boomers who said the same, according to a new survey of just over 2,000 adults from Resume.org.

These People Are Most Likely to Fall for Job Scam Texts

Among the groups, young men appear to be most likely to fall for the scams. According to the Resume.org survey, 24% of Gen Z men and 31% of millennial men said they have fallen for a job scam text, each higher than the overall rate for their age group.

“There are several reasons younger people, especially young men, are more vulnerable to job scams,” Resume.org’s head of career advising Kara Dennison said on Resume.org. “Many are early in their careers and haven’t yet developed the instincts to spot red flags. Financial pressure also plays a big role, as the promise of fast, remote income is incredibly appealing when facing student debt and rising living costs.”

Just under half of those who said they engaged with a scam text said they gave personal information to the scammer. Thirty percent said they had money stolen from their credit card or bank account, and 22% gave money to the scammer directly.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued multiple warnings about text messages containing job offers that seem too good to be true. In March, the FTC said the number of reports of employment scams tripled from 2020 through 2024, while the amount of money reportedly lost to those scams rose from $90 million to $501 million.

Job board Indeed, which is often impersonated in the scams, has its own warning about how to know if a communication from Indeed is real or a scam.

Job Scam Texts Are Making Americans Wary of Real Job Offers

Nearly 40% of Americans say they’ve received at least one job scam text message in 2025, and more than 70% said they either ignored it or blocked the number.

Those who engage with the texts have a variety of reasons for doing so. A quarter said it seemed like a great opportunity, and another quarter said the text looked professional and real. Twenty-one percent said they didn’t realize the job offer was fake, 15% said they were desperate for money, and 12% said they simply really needed a job.

Many respondents also said the prevalence of scams has made them more hesitant to respond to any outreach from recruiters, and others said they now take more time to research who is reaching out to them or delay their responses. Those measures line up with what the FTC recommends, along with looking for jobs from verified sources, blocking unwanted numbers, and not clicking on links in texts from people you don’t know.

The Bottom Line

The number of text message-based job scams has surged in recent years, as has the amount of money Americans have lost to them. Younger Americans, especially young men, appear to be more vulnerable to the scams. The FTC has issued warnings about the texts, and recommends Americans ignore or block texts with too-good-to-be-true job offers from numbers you don’t recognize.