Recruitment scams involve criminals posing as recruiters to steal money or personal information through fake job offers. Red flags include unsolicited contact via text or encrypted apps, requests for upfront fees or personal financial data before a formal offer, high pay for low-effort work, and unprofessional communication or email addresses. To avoid these scams, verify company legitimacy, check official contact details, decline any requests for payment or sensitive information, and report suspicious activity to authorities.
Common tactics & red flags
- Unsolicited contact: Scammers often reach out via text, email, or messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal, not through legitimate job boards or company career pages.
- Requests for upfront fees: Legitimate employers or recruiters will not ask you to pay for training materials, application processing, or other fees to get a job.
- Phishing for personal information: You may be asked for sensitive data such as your social security number or bank details under the guise of a background check or payroll setup.
- Unprofessional communication: Look for emails from free accounts (like @gmail.com instead of a company domain) or poor grammar.
- High-paying, low-effort jobs: Scammers offer attractive positions with high earnings for tasks like liking posts, rating apps, or transferring money, often with an initial "investment" requirement.
- Pressure to act quickly: You might receive an official-looking job offer and paperwork before you've had a proper interview or chance to ask questions, and they will push for your information before answering.
How to protect yourself
- Research the company to ensure it's legitimate, check for a physical address, and confirm that the contact details in the job offer match the official company website.
- Protect your information: Never share sensitive personal or financial details before you've confirmed the company is legitimate and have a formal offer.
- Trust your instincts: If something feels wrong or too good to be true, it likely is.
- Contact the company directly: If you're unsure about a job offer, contact the company using the official contact information from their official website, not from the suspicious message or advertisement.