I recently received a job offer from a small marketing agency with about 30 employees. I went through three rounds of Zoom interviews with the hiring manager, another team manager, and the CEO. I did my homework on the company and its leaders, checking LinkedIn, their official website, and even watching interviews with the CEO. Everything seemed legitimate; they had good reviews on Glassdoor and were featured on sites like Fortune.com and BuiltIn.com. They asked for three references, and the hiring manager conducted video calls with each of them, asking detailed questions. Throughout the hiring process, I wasn't asked for any personal information or to pay anything, which made me feel secure. However, I noticed that there wasn't an HR team involved, as the hiring manager handled all communications. The offer came via email, welcoming me to the team and outlining my role and pay, but there wasn't a formal offer letter. They did provide a contract agreement and other documents to sign, including confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. I'm starting as a contractor for the first 30 days before transitioning to a full-time role. They even sent me a W9 form to fill out and set up a work email and accounts on project management platforms like Jira and Basecamp. My manager has already scheduled meetings for Monday, which is when I officially start. However, I received an onboarding email that raised some red flags. It included instructions on invoicing, stating that I should send invoices twice a month to their finance email. They mentioned that they do not provide ACH payments and only pay through Zelle, Venmo, or via a physical check. I've never encountered a company that pays contractors this way, and I'm starting to worry if this is a scam. Could this payment method cause issues when I file my taxes? I'm feeling anxious and could use some advice.