Amanda Seiler

Unsure if you were contacted by a real recruiter or a fake one? Go through this list & see if these signs match up with your experience.

As technology & social media become more prevalent in our world, it becomes easier for a scammer to target everyday individuals. This started (and still continues) with fake phone calls, which moved into fake emails & links. Then into full catfish accounts on social media platforms. Unfortunately, this is no different when it comes to job hunting. As sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Dice and more have gained popularity, how do you know the person on the other end of a direct message is a real recruiter?

We have some tips below to help you weed out the real recruiters with real job opportunities from the fake ones, who will ultimately try to gain personal information & money from you. Even if these things don’t happen to you, trust your gut instinct! If something feels off, it most likely is.

If the profile that messaged you, looks brand-new.

A tell-tale sign that you might encounter if you are engaging with a scam account is, if the profile that messaged you does not have a profile picture, has a very low connection count and little to no posts, stop engaging immediately. These are signs of a brand-new account that could have been created only minutes before reaching out to you. A real recruiter’s main job is to make connections with people! Their profile should have a profile photo, many post interactions & a log history of interactions.

If at any point the recruiter asks to share your contact details with other sources.

Recruiters should keep all of your personal information confidential between them & the end client. If at any point they ask to share your information with another recruiter or another agency, this could be a sign of a scammer. The only information they should be asking you for or sharing, is your resume. This will be required by the end client who will be conducting your interview. Even then, the recruiter is in charge of setting up your interview and should be the one gathering & keeping any information.

If the recruiter fails to explain the details of the job to you.

The recruiter reaching out to you should know all the ins & outs of the position they are asking you to apply for. Not only should be able to answer all of your questions with ease, but they should also be able to give you specific details on the requirements & the end client.

Also, keep in mind that a recruiter should never submit your profile to a job opening without your permission. It is best that they get your permission in writing before submitting you for an opening. If they fail to do so, you could be dealing with a fake account.

If the recruiter sends you an offer without completing proper interview formalities.

Let’s say you get a message regarding an open position on Monday and by Tuesday you receive an offer to take the job. They may have asked you some questions via direct message, but you never had an official interview. This is a strong indicator that you are being targeted. Real recruiters will always reach out to you and want to set up an interview for you with the end client. Most likely, there will be more than one interview that is required before an offer is sent out. If it seems like things are moving way too fast, this is a red flag.

If at any point, the recruiter asks for money, you are being scammed.

This is a huge red flag and it most likely won’t come right away. Scammers love to gain your confidence & trust before asking for these details. A real recruiter will never ask you for any form of payment. You do not have to pay them for their services as they are employed by a legit company. They also will never ask you to provide any credit card or banking information. Banking information should only be provided after acceptance of a job during the Onboarding process after all other items check-out. This is all after interviews, negotiations, face-to-face meetings. This will also come directly from the companies HR team via a secure system.

Remember to always trust your gut & never provide personal information to anyone without doing your research first! You should be able to google their name, the company they work for and find reputable sources that the recruiter who reached out is legit! If you can’t, block that profile as fast as you can!