In this guide
Checking employers and job offers
How to check that a recruiter is real
Verify the person behind an unexpected recruiter message: their identity, their link to the company and the role, and the warning signs of a fake recruiter.
Why the person needs checking, not just the company
Scammers often use the names of real businesses and sometimes the names of real employees. The US Federal Trade Commission has warned about fake recruiters who claim to be with legitimate companies you might know and contact people by text with remote jobs that have pay but no real description.
Agency recruiters complicate this further: a genuine recruiter may represent a client they cannot yet name. That is normal, but the agency itself should still be easy to verify.
Five checks on the person
- Email domain: compare the sender's domain letter by letter with the company's official website. A free email account for a large employer is a reason to verify.
- Independent contact: call the company's switchboard or email its published address and ask whether the named person works there and is recruiting for the role.
- Professional profile: check that a profile exists, has history and connects to real colleagues, remembering profiles can be faked.
- Agency status: for an agency recruiter, check the agency's own website, registered company details and contact information.
- Consistency: does the role in the message match a vacancy on the company's own careers page?
Warning signs in recruiter behaviour
| Behaviour | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| First contact by text, WhatsApp or Telegram with a job offer | The FTC says real employers will never contact you that way about jobs |
| Asking you to reply 'YES' to learn more | Described by the FTC as a way scammers get you to engage |
| Refusing a video call or a call through the company's switchboard | Avoids any check of who they are |
| Asking for money, bank details or codes early | Real recruiters do not charge candidates or need one-time codes |
| Moving you off the job site to a private chat quickly | Takes the conversation out of reach of the platform's protections |
Illustrative example
A recruiter message worth verifying first
- Text from an unknown number: 'Hi, I am Laura from a well-known online retailer. We have a remote online assessor role paying a daily rate. Reply YES if interested.'
No surname, no company email, a role with pay but no description and a request to reply YES. Do not reply; check the company's careers page directly instead.
If the recruiter checks out
Once the company confirms the person and the role, carry on as normal, and keep sharing information in proportion to the stage. Identity and right-to-work documents belong at the point of offer, inside a process you have verified.
Recruiter verified when
- The company confirmed the person through its published contact details.
- The role appears on the company's own careers page or the company confirmed it.
- Correspondence comes from the company's real email domain.
- Nobody has asked me for money or codes.
Common questions
Is it rude to ask a recruiter to prove who they are?
No. A genuine recruiter expects candidates to be careful and will be comfortable with you checking through the company's switchboard or official email.
Where can I report a fake recruiter?
In the UK, GOV.UK explains how to report scams to Report Fraud or Police Scotland and to forward suspicious texts to 7726. In the US, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
- FTC consumer alert: that job offer text is probably a scamUS Federal Trade Commission · US · checked 3 October 2026
- FTC: job scamsUS Federal Trade Commission · US · checked 3 October 2026
- JobsAware: types of job scamsJobsAware · UK · checked 3 October 2026
- GOV.UK: avoid and report internet scams and phishingGOV.UK · UK · checked 3 October 2026
Put it into practice
See how Luceria helps with thisDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.