How To Verify Suspicious Employer Communication
Employers and recruiters may contact you on Indeed about job opportunities. It's important to make sure that these messages are from real people about real positions. This page covers how to verify suspicious communication. We'll also explain what to do if you suspect someone is impersonating a recruiter.
Best practices
Be mindful of suspicious activity when talking with employers and recruiters. Here are some ways to do that.
Verify the sender's email
Most real employers and recruiters use a work email. They don't use personal accounts like Gmail or Yahoo.
Make sure:
- The company name is in the email address
- The name is spelled right
- There are no extra letters or strange changes
Make sure the recruiter is real
If someone claims to be a recruiter from a specific company:
- Visit the company's official career page or website
- Check for a staff directory or team page
- Search for the recruiter on LinkedIn
- Call the company's main phone number to confirm the recruiter works there
Research the company online
- Search for the company's website
- Find a physical address or phone number
- Check if they have verified social media accounts
- Look up recent news or reviews about the company
Communicate through official channels
Whenever possible, use official communication methods:
- Video calls or face-to-face meetings
- Phone calls to verified company numbers
- Emails from official company domains
Don't share your personal information
Be careful if someone asks for your:
- Driver's license
- Credit reports
- Banking details
- Social Security information
Pay attention to the message quality
The message might be a scam if it has:
- Grammar mistakes
- Spelling errors
- Unusual words or phrasing
Also, be careful if:
- The job offer sounds too good to be true
- They make promises that don't feel real
- They pressure you to act immediately
Protect yourself
- Don't respond to suspicious messages.
- Don't click links or download attachments.
- Document all communication in case you need it later.
Red flags for fake recruiters
Be mindful of these warning signs:
- Requesting payment for training, background checks, or equipment
- Interviewing only through text or messaging apps
- Offering a job without an interview
- Using generic greetings like "Dear applicant" instead of your name
- Sending offers from free email services
- Rushing you to accept an offer immediately
What to do if you suspect impersonation
If you believe someone is claiming to represent a real company:
Report to the company
- Visit the company's official website.
- Find their contact information or fraud reporting page.
- Notify them that someone may be using their name fraudulently.
Report to Indeed
If the suspicious contact came through Indeed:
- Report the message or job posting
- Block the sender if possible
Recruiter or Indeed impersonation?
Recruiter impersonation
- Someone claims to be a recruiter from a real company.
- Report it by contacting the impersonated company.
Indeed impersonation
- Someone claims to represent Indeed or uses Indeed's name and branding.
- Find out more about text messages or phone calls claiming to be Indeed.
Next steps
Still unsure if a message is real? Or think you may have been scammed? Here are some articles that might help:
For job seekers
Want to know how we protect you?
Learn about the steps we need employers to take and how we handle fraudulent activity:
- How To Verify Your Account
- Employers have to verify their identity before they can post on Indeed.
- Fraudulent Job Policy
- This policy explains how we find and handle fraudulent job postings on our platform.