You get an exciting message from a recruiter. But here's the thing, job scams are way more common than they used to be. The FTC saw reports triple between 2020 and 2024, with losses jumping from $90 million to over $500 million. So before you get too excited, it's worth taking a few minutes to make sure this person is actually real.
How Can You Tell If a Recruiter Is Legit?
To verify a recruiter, check the person's identity, email domain, company affiliation, job details, and communication methods independently. Never pay to get a job, and be cautious about sharing sensitive personal or financial information before you've verified the employer and progressed through a legitimate hiring process.
Getting a message from a recruiter can be exciting, especially when you're looking for your next opportunity.
But if you weren't expecting the message, you may also wonder:
Is this recruiter actually real? That's a question worth asking.
Job scammers sometimes impersonate legitimate companies, and even real recruiters, to get job seekers to send money or reveal personal information. The Federal Trade Commission says reports about job scams tripled between 2020 and 2024, while reported losses increased from $90 million to $501 million. More recently, the FTC has warned about unexpected messages from fake recruiters promoting vague work-from-home opportunities.
A professional-looking message isn't proof that it's legitimate.
Before responding to an unfamiliar recruiter, look for these eight signs.
1. Google Them.
Start with the person contacting you.
Search for the recruiter's:
Full name
Employer
Job title
Professional profile
Company presence
Do the details line up?
Check if their LinkedIn exists, if they actually work where they say they work, if their job title lines up. Scammers will steal real recruiters’ names and photos, so finding someone with the same name doesn’t mean it’s actually them. They key is connecting them to the company independently, through the company’s own website, not through links they send you.
Remember: Finding a real recruiter with the same name doesn't prove the person messaging you is that recruiter.
2. The Email Domain Matches the Company
Look beyond the sender's display name.
Someone can make the name appearing in your inbox look convincing. What matters is the actual email address.
Look at the actual email address, not the name that shows up. If they claim to work for Google but they email you from bestjobs234@gmail.com, then you should question it.
Check the portion after the @ symbol. Does it match a domain the organization uses?
Be cautious when someone claims to represent a company but contacts you from an unrelated personal email account.
The FTC specifically identifies personal email addresses being used by supposed corporate recruiters as a potential warning sign.
There can be legitimate exceptions depending on the recruiter and staffing arrangement, so don't use the email domain as your only test. Instead, treat it as one part of the verification process.
3. The Recruiter Can Explain the Opportunity
A legitimate recruiter should be able to provide meaningful information about why they're contacting you.
You should be able to learn things such as:
What the position is
What the work involves
What skills or experience the employer is seeking
Who the employer is, when that information can be disclosed
What the hiring process involves
Why your background may be relevant
Be cautious about vague messages offering unusually attractive compensation without explaining what the job actually involves.
An unexpected message promising easy remote work, extremely high pay, or quick money with little information about the actual position deserves additional scrutiny.
4. You're Not Asked to Pay to Get the Job
This is one of the biggest red flags.
You should not have to pay an employer or recruiter to get hired.
If they ask you to pay for anything: equipment, training, a “starter kit”, that should be a hard top. Real jobs don’t work that way.
Be extremely cautious if someone asks you to pay for:
Equipment
Training
Certifications required through a specific link they provide
Software
Background checks paid directly to the supposed recruiter
Application processing
Starter kits
Any other expense as a condition of receiving the job
The FTC's guidance is straightforward: honest employers don't ask candidates to pay to get a job.
5. They Don't Send You a Check and Ask You to Send Money Back This is a common job-scam tactic.
This one is very sneaky. They send you a check, tell you to buy supplies, and ask you to send the “extra” money back. The check looks real at first, the bounces weeks later and suddenly you are out of the money you already sent. Don’t do it!
Never deposit a check from an unfamiliar employer and then send some of the money elsewhere.
6. They Don't Demand Sensitive Information Before You've Verified Them
Hiring eventually involves personal information. Employers need certain information to onboard and pay employees.
Timing and context matter.
Be suspicious if someone you've barely spoken with immediately asks for information such as your:
Social Security number
Bank account information
Driver's license
Credit card information
Other sensitive identity or financial information
The FTC has specifically warned about fake recruiters seeking this information before a legitimate interview and hiring process has taken place.
Before providing sensitive information, make sure you understand who you're dealing with, why the information is needed, and whether you're using a legitimate and secure process.
7. The Hiring Process Makes Sense
Scammers often want to move quickly.
That doesn't mean a fast hiring process is automatically fraudulent. Some legitimate employers hire quickly.
Instead, look at the entire situation.
Ask yourself:
Did anyone actually discuss my qualifications?
Did I have a credible interview?
Can I verify the company?
Can I verify the recruiter?
Do I understand the job?
Does the communication method make sense?
Am I being pressured to provide information or money immediately?
Be especially cautious with unexpected texts, WhatsApp messages, Telegram messages, or other communications offering vague jobs and asking you to respond immediately.
In April 2026, the FTC warned specifically about fake recruiters sending unsolicited messages about vague remote positions and trying to get recipients to engage before eventually asking for money.
8. You Can Verify the Job or Company Independently
Don't let the recruiter be your only source of information.
Search for the employer yourself.
Visit the company's official website by typing the address yourself or finding it through an independent search rather than relying solely on a link sent in an unexpected message.
Look for:
An official careers page
The advertised position
Company contact information
A legitimate company presence
Recruiter verification resources, if available
You can also search the company or recruiter's name along with terms such as scam, reviews, or complaints to see whether other job seekers have reported suspicious activity.
If you're still unsure, contact the company using contact information you independently know is legitimate.
What Should You Do If a Recruiter Contacts You Unexpectedly?
Unexpected recruiter outreach isn't automatically a scam. Recruiters regularly search for candidates who haven't applied directly to a position.
But unexpected outreach is a reason to verify before you trust.
Before clicking links or sharing information:
Check the sender's complete email address.
Research the recruiter independently.
Research the company.
Verify the opportunity when possible.
Don't send money.
Don't rush into providing sensitive personal information.
Contact the organization independently if something seems unusual.
A few minutes of verification can save you from a much bigger problem later.
Watch Out for Fake Interview Links
Some job scams go beyond a suspicious email or text. A fake recruiter may invite you to schedule what appears to be a legitimate interview and send you a link to join or confirm the meeting.
Be cautious if the link asks you to sign in with Facebook, Google, Microsoft, or another account before you can join the interview. A fraudulent sign-in page may be designed to capture your username and password. After you enter your information, the “interview” may never happen.
Before signing in:
- Check the website address carefully.
- Verify that the meeting link leads to the service you expect.
- Don’t enter your password on a page you reached through a suspicious recruiting message.
- If you’re unsure, contact the employer through contact information you find independently on its official website.
- Never assume an interview invitation is legitimate simply because it includes a calendar invite or scheduling link.
Red flag: If an interview link unexpectedly asks you to log in through an unrelated social media account, stop and verify the invitation before continuing.
How Do You Verify a MyCareers Recruiter?
If someone contacts you claiming to represent MyCareers by Leoforce, you don't have to guess whether the communication is legitimate.
Visit the MyCareers Verify Recruiter Communications page to review our official communication information and learn how to verify outreach you've received.
If something doesn't look right, verify the communication before sharing sensitive information or taking further action.
What Should You Do If You Think a Recruiter Is Fake?
Stop communicating until you can verify the person independently.
Don't click additional links, send money, deposit checks, or provide more personal information.
If the person claims to represent a real company, contact that organization through contact information from its official website — not the phone number, email address, or link supplied by the suspicious recruiter.
You can also report job scams to the Federal Trade Commission through ReportFraud.gov.
Can a Fake Recruiter Impersonate a Real Recruiter?
Yes.
That's why searching for the person's name isn't enough.
A scammer may use the name, title, photograph, or other publicly available information belonging to a legitimate recruiting professional.
Verify both the person and the communication channel being used to contact you.
Will a Legitimate Recruiter Ask for Personal Information?
There is an important distinction between information needed during a legitimate recruiting process and sensitive information requested unexpectedly or prematurely.
Recruiters may ask about your experience, skills, work authorization, availability, location, salary expectations, and other information relevant to determining whether you're a potential fit for a position.
Employers also need sensitive information later for legitimate onboarding, tax, payroll, and employment-verification purposes.
The red flag is an unverified person pushing for highly sensitive identity or financial information before you've gone through a credible hiring process.
Do Legitimate Recruiters Contact Candidates by Text?
Recruiters can use multiple communication methods, including phone and text, depending on the organization and the candidate relationship.
But an unexpected text alone doesn't prove someone is legitimate.
Be especially cautious when an unsolicited message offers a vague job, promises easy money, asks you to respond immediately, moves you to an unfamiliar messaging platform, or eventually asks you for money or financial information.
Verify the recruiter independently before proceeding.
Trust Your Questions, Then Verify the Answers
A recruiter contacting you can lead to a great career opportunity.
It can also be an opportunity for someone pretending to be a recruiter.
You don't need to become suspicious of every message you receive. You simply need to develop the habit of verifying before trusting.
Check the person. Check the company. Check the communication method. Ask questions.
And remember one of the simplest rules of job searching:
You should never have to pay someone for the promise of a job.
Verify MyCareers Communications
Received a message from someone claiming to represent MyCareers by Leoforce?
Visit Verify Recruiter Communications to learn how to confirm legitimate MyCareers outreach and what to do if you receive a suspicious message.
Need More Help?
For more on spotting job scams and how to report them, check out the FTC's job scams resource page at the FTC job scams page as well as the FTC Consumer Advice page.
Report a scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov Consumer Advice
Contact the company directly using their official website or phone number (not anything the "recruiter" gave you)
