Job Description Red Flag Detector — Check Before You Apply

What the detector checks.

The tool scans job description text for 50 weighted signals — 48 text patterns plus 2 optional context checks (how you found the posting and how old it is) — and combines them into a 0–100 risk score across five groups:

Scam signals — pay-to-apply and upfront fees, requests for bank details or SSN, check-deposit and equipment-vendor fraud, gift-card and crypto payment, task-scam phrasing, reshipping and “payment agent” roles, messaging-app interviews, instant-hire promises, MLM pitches, unpaid trials, equity-only pay, and personal-email contacts.

Culture warnings — “fast-paced,” “we are a family,” “rockstar,” “competitive salary” with no numbers, unlimited PTO, perks-as-culture, availability creep, “other duties as assigned,” degree inflation, age-proxy language, commission-only pay, absurdly wide pay ranges, and non-compete clauses.

Unrealistic requirements — entry-level roles demanding experience, 7+ year wishlists, and marathon interview processes.

Missing info — no salary, no benefits, no responsibilities, no company description, suspiciously short postings, and “talent pool” ghost-job language.

Positive signals — a stated salary range, named benefits, a described interview process, a named team or manager, a careers-page or ATS link, and a real responsibilities list. These subtract from the score, so a personal email address in an otherwise solid posting reads as a warning, not a verdict.

Red flags are signals, not verdicts.

The score bands: 45+ or any critical flag is high risk — verify the employer and the flagged detail before sharing information. Report a posting if you confirm a scam. 25–44 is caution — verify the company on its own careers page first. 8–24 is minor notes — bring the flagged questions to the first call. Under 8 looks clean — but still research the employer.

A single warning flag does not mean a job is bad. “Fast-paced” can describe a legitimate startup environment. But multiple warning flags, or any critical flag, should make you pause and investigate before applying. For the full playbook on form-level scams, see our guide to job application scams in 2026.

Common questions.

Is no salary listed a red flag? It is a yellow flag, not a red one. Many legitimate employers still omit pay, but in states with pay transparency laws (California, Colorado, New York, Washington, Illinois, and more) a missing range may be a compliance violation. Scam postings, meanwhile, almost never state a real range — they hype "unlimited earning potential" instead. Ask about salary in the first call.

What does "fast-paced environment" mean in a job description? Usually it means the team is understaffed, planning is poor, or overtime is normalized — but not always. Treat it as a question to ask, not a verdict: "What are the actual hours? Why is the last person gone?" Combined with "we are a family" or "wear many hats," the burnout signal gets stronger.

How do I know if a job posting is a scam? The strongest scam signals are requests for money (fees, equipment purchases, check deposits), requests for SSN or bank details before an offer, interviews moved to Telegram or WhatsApp, guaranteed high pay for simple tasks, and "package inspector" or "payment agent" roles. Any one of those means do not apply. This tool scans for 50 weighted signals — including positive signals like a stated salary range and a real careers-page link — and scores the posting 0–100.

Wondering whether your posting breaks pay-transparency rules? See pay transparency laws in 2026 for examples and links to current official guidance.

The job description stays in your browser.

This tool does not upload or store the text you paste. All analysis runs locally. Analytics may record that the tool was used, subject to consent, but never the job description text, company name, or specific flags detected.

Once you have checked for red flags, use the resume keyword matcher to see if your resume aligns with the job description.