Check a job posting before you share documents or apply

Separate a familiar name from a verified offer

A job advertisement can use a recognisable company name without being published by that company. A professional-looking logo, a messaging profile or a polished application form is not enough to establish who is collecting your information. Before sending a CV or responding to an offer, build a small trail back to a source you can verify independently.

This guide provides a general checking process. It cannot certify a recruiter or determine that a particular opportunity is safe. If something important remains unclear, pause and verify through the organisation’s established contact route.

The US Federal Trade Commission warns that job scams can seek money or personal information and advises independent research. It also warns about fake cheques and requests to send money onward. Reporting routes depend on where you live; its guidance is linked below as a source, not a substitute for local support.

Build an independent verification trail

1. Record what the advertisement actually claims

Before following an application link, note the employer name, role title, location, reference and the website where you saw it. Separate specific facts from promotional wording. “Flexible opportunities” is not a confirmed work schedule, and “competitive salary” is not an agreed amount.

If the advertisement gives no duties, location or employer identity, treat those as unanswered questions. A lack of detail does not prove fraud, but it prevents an informed decision. You should understand the work before being asked to provide sensitive documents.

2. Navigate to the organisation independently

Find the organisation’s established website through a route independent of the message. Open its careers section and search for the role or reference. Compare the title, location and application instructions. An employer may use a separate recruitment platform; follow the link from its own website rather than assuming that a lookalike domain belongs to it.

Read the whole domain name carefully. A company name placed before an unrelated domain can create a false impression of ownership. HTTPS protects the connection; it does not by itself verify the business behind the page.

3. Treat missing matches as unresolved

Some legitimate opportunities are advertised by agencies or through channels that do not appear in a public vacancy list. If you cannot find a matching posting, use the organisation’s independently obtained contact details to ask how to verify the recruiter or reference. Do not use only the telephone number supplied in the suspicious message.

Record the answer and the source. A message from the same unverified person repeating “this is genuine” does not provide independent confirmation. If an agency is involved, clarify who would employ you and who is authorised to collect your documents.

4. Review the requested information

A CV and relevant experience are different from bank credentials or an identity-document scan. Ask why each item is needed at that stage and how it will be handled. Do not send passwords, one-time codes or access to your accounts. Keep another person’s reference details private until you have their permission and a legitimate reason to share them.

Use a limited initial CV where appropriate. You can discuss later onboarding requirements through a verified employer process if you reach that stage. A claim that documents are “mandatory immediately” should not stop you checking the identity of the recipient.

5. Pause at money movement or artificial urgency

If the proposed work involves receiving a cheque and forwarding part of the money, stop and review the FTC’s fake-cheque guidance. Likewise, requests to transfer money through your own account, buy gift cards or hand over account access require immediate caution. Do not test the arrangement by sending a small amount.

Pressure to act before you can verify the organisation is itself useful information. A legitimate deadline can be specific and documented; a threat that you must pay within minutes or lose a guaranteed role should prompt you to step away and check independently.

6. Keep a short decision record

Use three labels: confirmed, unresolved and stop. “Official careers page matches reference” can be confirmed. “Recruiter’s relationship to employer” may remain unresolved. “Asked to forward money from a cheque” belongs in stop. The purpose is to avoid letting one reassuring detail erase several unanswered questions.

If you already shared information

Stop further contact through the suspicious channel and preserve relevant messages. If money or payment information was involved, contact your financial provider promptly using its official route. For identity information or compromised accounts, use the relevant provider’s security process and your local fraud-reporting resources. Avoid anyone offering guaranteed recovery in exchange for another payment.

You do not have to prove that a posting is fraudulent before deciding not to continue. An unresolved identity or unexplained request can be enough to pause your own application. Keep looking for opportunities through sources whose process you can understand and verify.