EDUCATIONAL

How to identify and avoid job scams

Recognize common recruitment scam warning signs and protect your money, identity documents, accounts and verification codes.

Updated 12 September 2026

Job scams often create urgency, promise selection without a genuine process or ask candidates to pay through informal channels. A professional-looking poster or message is not proof that a vacancy is genuine.

Know the common warning signs

Treat unsolicited offers with caution when they guarantee a job, use vague employer details, offer unusually high pay for minimal requirements, or pressure you to act immediately.

  • Requests for payment to release an offer letter or salary.
  • Interviews conducted only through text messages.
  • Links that imitate a known employer’s domain.
  • Requests for banking passwords, card details or OTPs.

Verify independently

Search for the vacancy on the organization’s official site and contact the organization through details found independently. Check whether the recruiter’s email domain matches the organization.

Limit personal information

Share only documents necessary for the stage of recruitment. Mask unrelated identification numbers where acceptable and avoid sending full financial information. Never disclose a one-time password.

If you suspect fraud

Stop communication, preserve screenshots and payment records, contact your bank quickly if money was transferred, and report the incident through appropriate cybercrime or law-enforcement channels.