How to Spot a Fake Job Offer Before You Lose Money

How job scams usually work

Scammers pose as recruiters or well-known companies. They contact you by message, email or phone, offer a job quickly, and then ask for money or personal details. The fee is often described as a registration charge, training fee, security deposit, laptop cost or document verification charge.

The most important rule: a genuine employer does not charge candidates to apply, interview or join.

Warning signs

One of these signs is a reason to be careful. Several together mean you should stop.

• You are asked to pay any amount before joining
• You receive an offer with no interview, or after only a short chat on a messaging app
• The recruiter uses a personal email address (for example Gmail or Yahoo) instead of a company email
• You are asked for an OTP, card details, banking passwords or UPI PIN
• The salary is far higher than similar roles, for little work
• The company has no website, no address, or details that do not match
• You are pressured to reply or pay within a few hours
• The message has many spelling or grammar mistakes

Step-by-step: verify an offer before you reply

It takes about ten minutes and can save you from losing money.

1. Pause. Do not respond to pressure. A real offer will still be there after you check.
2. Search for the company name. Look for an official website, a careers page and a physical address.
3. Check the email domain. A recruiter's email should end with the company's own domain. Compare it with the website.
4. Find the job on the company's official careers page or on a trusted job portal. If it does not appear anywhere, be suspicious.
5. Ask for the job description, salary details and interview process in writing.
6. Insist on a proper interview, in person or by video. Be wary of anyone who skips it.
7. Do not share Aadhaar, PAN, bank details or copies of certificates until you have a verified written offer letter and have confirmed the company.
8. Talk to someone you trust before you pay or travel anywhere. If money is requested at any stage, stop.

What a genuine hiring process looks like

• A named recruiter with a company email address
• One or more interview rounds
• A written offer letter stating role, salary, joining date and location
• No payment requested from you at any point
• Documents collected only after the offer, through official channels

If you have already shared details or paid

Act quickly. The sooner you report, the better the chance of limiting the damage.

1. Stop all contact with the person and do not send more money.
2. Save screenshots of messages, emails, payment receipts and phone numbers.
3. Contact your bank immediately if you shared banking details or paid money, and ask them to block or flag the transaction.
4. Report the incident on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call 1930, and consider filing a complaint with your local police.
5. If the job was found on JobKarle, report the listing to us so it can be reviewed. See our fraud alert page for details.
6. Change passwords for any account whose details you shared.