Worker safety and scam prevention

• You should never have to pay to apply for a job or to start working.
• A legitimate employer will not ask for your bank login, Social Security number, or a copy of your ID before an interview.
• Real interviews happen on a phone call, video call, or in person — not only over text or chat apps.
• If something feels off, slow down. Take time to verify before sending money, documents, or personal information.

• You are asked to pay an application fee, training fee, or background-check fee up front.
• You are asked to buy equipment, software, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or prepaid cards as part of the job.
• You receive a check and are told to deposit it and send part of the money back. This is a fake-check scam.
• The pay sounds far higher than other jobs for the same work, especially for very little experience.
• You are hired with no interview, or hired only over text or chat.
• The contact immediately moves you off email or SMS to a different chat app you do not normally use.
• The job description, business name, or address keeps changing or does not match what you find online.

• Your bank account login or password.
• A payment in gift cards, crypto, or prepaid cards.
• Upfront fees of any kind to apply, interview, or get hired.
• Full Social Security number or government ID before any interview.
• To deposit checks on their behalf or move money between accounts.

• Use an email address you control and that you can check easily.
• Share only the information a normal job application needs: name, contact info, work history.
• Wait until after a real interview to share documents like your ID, void check, or tax forms.
• When possible, do a first interview at the business location during normal hours.
• Tell a friend or family member where the interview is and when.

• Search the business name plus the neighborhood and look for an established website, Google Maps listing, or social profile.
• Call the phone number listed on the business's own website — not a number only sent in a message.
• Check that the email domain matches the business's real website.
• If the listing mentions a manager by name, look them up on the business's public pages.
• Watch for fake domains or typo squats of real restaurant names (for example a one-letter-off URL, an unrelated top-level domain, or a domain that does not appear anywhere on the business's own social profiles).
• Verify the business independently before sharing sensitive personal information.

• Do not send a photo of your ID before an interview unless you have verified the employer and understand why it is needed.
• Be cautious if someone asks you to pay money to apply, buy equipment, buy training, or unlock a job.
• Be cautious of interviews that move immediately to encrypted messaging apps or that ask for financial information (bank account, card numbers, deposit info) before you have started work.
• Tax forms (W-4, I-9), direct deposit info, and a copy of your ID belong in formal onboarding after you have been hired — not in the application or first interview.

• Stop the conversation. You do not owe anyone a fast reply.
• Do not send money, gift cards, or sensitive documents.
• Save screenshots of messages and the listing.
• Report the listing to ShiftMap so a human can review it.
• For off-platform scams — wire transfers, fake checks, identity theft — you can also report to the FTC.

Every public listing has a Report listing button near the bottom of the page. You can report a listing for being a scam, inaccurate, unsafe, discriminatory, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate. Reports go privately to the ShiftMap team. The employer is not notified.

Employers should not make hiring decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or genetic information. If a listing or interview asks about these things in a way that feels discriminatory, you can report it. You may also file a charge with the EEOC.

• ShiftMap does not pay performers and does not hold Talent payouts. Payment is arranged directly between the venue and the performer.
• Confirm the compensation type, date, set length, and load-in time in writing before the booking.
• If a venue asks you to pay a fee to perform, treat it as a red flag.
• For new venues, look up the address and recent events before agreeing to a booking.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. ShiftMap cannot respond to emergencies and is not a crisis service. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.