Millions of Americans are looking for work right now, but the number of job postings is stalling.

The U.S. Labor Department says employers advertised three million job openings in May. That's the same number from a month earlier and down from March.

But compare that to when the recession started in 2007, when four and a half million openings posted.

With 14 million unemployed Americans, there is heavy competition for each job.

Now, scammers are capitalizing on the need and desperation to find work.

How do you know if an offer to help is real?

Look for scams that promise employment in exchange for a little investment up front.

Ahniva Williams is a job developer at the Philadelphia Unemployment Project.

In just a few months in the position, she's heard it all.

"I have heard things from people about people charging for application fees...people requiring you to pay them for training...pay them to take a test at the post office,” she says.

Jovida Benson, 43, volunteers at PUP, after losing her job last November. She and her three children faced foreclosure and a growing sense of panic.

"With no salary, it's like a scramble to find out what I can get that's going to be commensurate for all of my living and the children's living."

Benson went online, to craigslist and found an opening for an executive assistant. A phone call put her in touch with a foreign-sounding man who wanted her to handle large sums of money- make deposits, purchases.

"I can't speak to the person who owns the account. That raised a red flag for me,” she said.

A general rule you should follow is that you should never have to pay to apply for a job. And use the Internet to check out complaints about your possible employer.