# Job opportunity verification checklist

A record of what you checked. Completing every line does not prove an opportunity is genuine. Verify the employer and secure channel before sharing identity documents or paying an official fee.

## The company

- [ ] Found on the official business register for its country (UK: Companies House; US: the state Secretary of State business search; EU: the national register). Establishes that an entity exists; not that the contact works for it.
- [ ] Email domain and website compared character by character with the company's real site, typed in myself.
- [ ] The vacancy found on the company's own careers page or an official channel.

## The advert or message

- [ ] Names a real location, responsibilities and a plausible salary; vague duties or pay far above market are warning signs.
- [ ] Any request for identity or bank details is verified through the employer's independently found channel and a secure process. UK right-to-work checks can occur before employment, including during recruitment; US Form I-9 follows an accepted offer. The timing alone does not prove a scam.
- [ ] No payment to a recruiter to secure a job or request to receive and forward money. If asked to pay for a check, verify the legitimate provider and fee independently; some official checks can have applicant fees.

## The recruiter or contact

- [ ] Verified through a channel I found myself (agency switchboard, verified profile), with a vacancy reference.
- [ ] Contact has not been pushed onto WhatsApp, Telegram or a personal email with pressure to decide quickly.

## The process and the offer

- [ ] A real interview with identifiable people took place before any offer; not chat-only.
- [ ] The offer letter names the legal employer, pay, hours, start date and normal conditions (references, right-to-work), with no payment or purchase conditions.

## If something is wrong

- [ ] Reported to the right body (UK: Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland in Scotland; US: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and to the platform where the advert appeared, with screenshots kept.
- [ ] If documents or bank details were shared: bank told, passwords changed, identity-protection steps considered.

## Official guidance and reporting
- UK right-to-work: https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work
- US Form I-9: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/foia/Employer_Responsibility.pdf
- UK DBS fees: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers
- UK suspected fraud: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ (Scotland: Police Scotland 101)
- US suspected fraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Edition 1.1, 2026-11-06.