Fake job and scam guide: how to stay safe

How job scams usually work

Most job scams follow the same pattern. First, someone contacts you with an attractive offer, often through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS or a job portal message. They use the name of a real company and sometimes a real-looking logo. The process feels quick and easy: a short chat, a “selection”, maybe an offer letter within hours.

Then comes the catch. To confirm the job, you are asked to pay: a registration fee, a training fee, a laptop deposit, a “refundable” security amount, or a document verification charge. Once you pay, there is always another fee, until you stop paying and the contact disappears.

Common types of job scams

Warning signs of a fake job offer

• Any request for money, at any stage, for any reason.
• An offer without a proper interview or test, or after a two-minute chat.
• Contact only through WhatsApp, Telegram or a personal phone number.
• Emails from free addresses (gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com) claiming to be from a large company.
• A salary far higher than similar roles for your experience.
• Pressure: “limited seats”, “pay today or lose the offer”.
• Spelling mistakes, blurry logos and vague job descriptions in the offer letter.
• The job does not appear on the company’s official careers page.

Example scam messages and what gives them away

These messages are made up, but they follow the patterns people report again and again. Read them once, and similar messages will be much easier to spot.

Congratulations! You are shortlisted for Data Entry Executive at
[Big Company Name]. Salary Rs 45,000/month, work from home.
Pay Rs 1,999 registration fee today to confirm your seat.
Only 3 seats left. Reply YES.

What gives it away: you never applied, there was no interview, the salary is unusually high for data entry, it asks for a fee, and it creates urgency with “only 3 seats left”.

Dear Candidate, your offer letter from [Company] HR is attached.
To complete document verification, pay the refundable security deposit
of Rs 7,500 to the UPI ID below. Joining kit and laptop will be couriered.

What gives it away: a “refundable deposit”, payment to a personal UPI ID, and a laptop being sent before you have even joined. Genuine companies handle equipment after you join, at their own cost.

Earn Rs 500-3,000 daily from home! Just like YouTube videos and rate
hotels. Join our Telegram group. First task pays Rs 150 instantly.

What gives it away: money for liking or rating, a Telegram group instead of a company, and a small first payment meant to build trust before you are asked to deposit larger amounts.

How to verify a company in five minutes

1. Find the official website yourself. Search the company name and open its website directly. Do not trust links sent in a chat.
2. Open the careers page. Search for the role title. A genuine opening usually appears there or on the company’s official hiring platform page.
3. Check the email domain. The recruiter’s email should end with the same domain as the official website.
4. Check the company registration. For Indian companies, you can look up the company name and CIN on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) website.
5. Call the official number. If in doubt, call the number on the official website, not the one given by the recruiter, and ask whether the offer is real.

On Fresher Job Alerts, every job links to the company’s official apply page. Read how we verify jobs to see what we check before publishing.

How to check an offer letter

A fake offer letter can look professional. Check these details before you trust it:

• It came after a real selection process: a test, an interview, or both.
• It is sent from the company’s official email domain or HR portal.
• It shows the company’s full name and registered address.
• It names a real person as the signatory, with a designation.
• The role, location, salary and joining date match what you discussed.
• It does not ask you to pay anything, now or later, to join.

Calls, messages and emails

Genuine recruiters do call and message candidates, so a phone call alone is not a warning sign. What matters is what they ask for. A real recruiter may ask about your experience, notice period and expected salary. They will not ask for your OTP, UPI PIN, card details or a payment.

If a message contains a link, do not open it without checking where it leads. Fake “application portals” are used to collect personal data. Apply only through the company’s official website or a well-known job site.

What to do if you already paid

Act fast. The first few hours matter most.

1. Call 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, and report the payment.
2. File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots, phone numbers, UPI IDs and transaction IDs.
3. Inform your bank or UPI app through its official helpline and ask them to flag the transaction.
4. Stop paying. Scammers often promise a refund if you pay one more fee. Do not.
5. Keep all evidence: chats, emails, call logs, the offer letter and payment receipts.

What to do if you shared documents

• If you shared your Aadhaar, you can lock your biometrics through the official UIDAI website or app.
• Watch your bank and credit activity for anything unusual.
• Be careful with unexpected loan or SIM-related calls and messages in your name.
• If you shared bank login details or an OTP, contact your bank immediately and change your passwords.
• Report the misuse at cybercrime.gov.in.

Reporting a scam

Reporting helps protect others. Report to the national cybercrime portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or helpline 1930. If someone used the name of a real company, you can also tell that company through its official website. If someone used the name Fresher Job Alerts, please tell us through the fake recruiter report form with the phone number, email or messages.

Safe habits for every job search

• Apply only through official careers pages or trusted job sites.
• Keep a list of where you applied, so unexpected “offers” stand out.
• Never pay to get a job, and never share OTPs, PINs or passwords.
• Share documents only on the company’s official portal or email, after you are selected.
• Talk to a friend or family member before acting on any offer that feels rushed.

For a steady and safe search routine, read our job search tips, and browse fresher jobs that link directly to official company pages.

Frequently asked questions