Just think of a situation where, while hunting for a job desperately, an email pops up in your inbox. It is from one of the renowned companies with great salary and amazing perks. But wait, did you apply for a job in that company? This could be a fake job offer scam. The question here is, so in order not to miss a real opportunity, how to identify a fake job offer letter?
Well, no doubt at first glance it is bit difficult but with proper attention to detail can help you from getting trap in the scam.
Here are the tips that can help you in differentiating & identifying job offer scams.
How Do You Know if a Job Offer Is Legit?
A fake job offer is an offer for a position that seems to be real but doesn’t come from a legitimate company. Scammers generally reach out to you via emails, text messages, or calls.
To make them look authentic, scammers arrange interviews, but that too online using their online messaging platform. Now, this itself gives a hint of something suspicious, however, many still get trapped in it, losing their hard-earned money.
Now, some chances offers sent to you are legit, so what you must do is to identify the right one.
Well, for that, invest some time in doing some research and filtering out the genuine job offers for yourself. Here are some of the steps of how to identify fake job offer letter.
1. Review the Job Details
The first and foremost thing after receiving the job offer letter is to check the company’s name on Google. In case you find the name and some of the details related to the job, don’t end your review right there.
Keep checking and look for:
- Description and make sure that is well-written without any spelling or grammar mistakes.
- The salary and other perks are quite higher than expected.
- The company asks you to submit your bank details
- Last but not least, you receive the offer without even applying for that position or job.
2. Check Out Email Id
Email frauds in India are on the rise too, and job scammers often reach out to you via phishing emails. These emails contain a link that redirects you to a fabricated web page asking for your personal and financial details.
Once you fill in the details, the scammer gets access to your bank account and wipes off the capital in no time. Here are the ways by which you can spot a fraud in job offers sent through email.
- Addressed you using a generic greeting like ‘Dear’ or ‘Hello’.
- Used general email addresses like Gmail or Yahoo. In case you find some other email domain, don’t forget to check and verify it before clicking on any link.
- In case you clicked on the link, check for the URL & other links.
3. Offers High Salary & Perks
Getting more salary than expected is something that no one wants to skip, but why would any company offer you more benefits?
Scammers generally use such tactics to lure people. If you find something similar in your job offer letter, then it is time to be extra cautious.
Here are some of the perks and benefits that help you spot fakeness in an offer letter:
- Free vacations
- HRA and other benefits
- Special joining bonus.
4. Asking You For Money
The biggest red flag that helps you in identifying the scam is the offer asking you for upfront money.
No company asks you to pay any fees for a job offer. If the email or message asks you for the same, then it is time to take a step back.
You can identify the scam if:
- You get a link redirecting you to the webpage, asking for bank details.
- The mail contains a payment link
5. Create Urgency to Respond
No company asks you to respond quickly. They do offer you a specific timeline but never chase you to respond quickly.
Scammers generally use this tactic to avoid giving you time to research or verify their details.
It is, therefore, important to check for signs like:
- Limited Openings! Apply now before the position gets filled.
- Deadline Approaching! Applications close soon; don’t miss out on this opportunity.
- Immediate Hiring! Grab this career-changing role before it’s gone.
How to Report a Job Scammer?
In case you missed identifying the scam and got trapped in it, then without wasting more time, act quickly by following the steps below:
- Report it to the job listing website.
- Report the email as spam to protect others from falling into the trap.
- File a cybercrime complaint.
- Report it to your bank to block all transactions.
Conclusion
No wonder that scammers are using smarter and sophisticated methods to scam people, but at the same time,e every scam leaves a sign. It only requires a little attention to detail to identify it.
In short, if something feels too good to be true, it probably is. Stay alert, do your research, and never share personal or financial details with unverified sources.
In case you have encountered any such scams, feel free to reach out. Just fill in the details below and we will assist you in filing a report against the scammer.
