Job scam detection checklist

1.Check the company has a real, matching domainSearch the company name, visit their official website, and confirm the recruiter's email domain matches it — a Gmail or Yahoo address for a "corporate" recruiter is a red flag.

2.Never pay any fee to apply, interview, or "reserve" a roleLegitimate employers never ask you to pay for training materials, equipment, or a "registration fee" before you've started working.

3.Verify the recruiter's identity on LinkedInA real recruiter has a history, connections, and a profile that matches the company they claim to represent — a brand-new profile with no activity is a warning sign.

4.Question a salary that sounds too good for the effort describedA listing offering a high USD salary for minimal, vague work (like "data entry, 2 hours a day") is one of the most common scam patterns targeting job seekers.

5.Be cautious if contact only happens over personal WhatsApp or TelegramLegitimate hiring almost always happens through company email or a proper ATS — an employer that only ever messages you on a personal chat app is a strong scam signal.

6.Notice repeated grammar and formatting errorsNot every typo means a scam, but a listing riddled with broken English, inconsistent formatting, and copy-pasted sections deserves extra scrutiny.

7.Watch for a job description with no specific responsibilitiesReal job postings describe actual day-to-day tasks and required tools; a listing that only repeats generic phrases like "be your own boss" is a warning sign.

8.Be skeptical of extreme urgency"Offer expires in 1 hour" or "we need you to start today" pressure tactics are designed to stop you from checking the company out first.

9.Be wary of an offer with no real interviewGetting "hired" after a single chat message with no interview, no discussion of your background, and no team introduction is a common scam shortcut.

10.Never share bank details or ID scans before a signed offerA legitimate employer only needs banking details after you've signed an offer and started onboarding — never before, and never over chat.

11.Search the company name plus "scam" or "review"A quick search often surfaces other job seekers who already reported the same listing or recruiter.

12.Insist on at least one live video call before acceptingA scammer avoids live video; a real hiring team, even fully remote, is almost always willing to do at least one video call before an offer.

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