Picture this: you receive a LinkedIn message from a recruiter offering a remote job opportunity perfectly aligned with your experience. They might set up a virtual interview, share exciting job responsibilities, or even forward an offer letter with an employment agreement and a seemingly real check to buy equipment.

Then, toward the end of the hiring process, they send you an invoice for equipment that you need to buy via cash or an online payment platform, like Zelle or PayPal, with the promise of reimbursing you. Or, they push you to disclose sensitive personal information, like your Social Security number or bank account number, to complete “employment paperwork.”

Dream job secured . . . right? Unfortunately, instead of a legitimate opportunity, this could be a case of “recruitment fraud,” which aims to steal your money and personal information — leaving you unemployed with the added burden of identity theft.

You might be wondering, “How can I avoid falling victim to a hiring hoax?” Check out our top tips for staying safe during your job search.

Search the company and role on careeronestop.org.

This free site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, lets you search for legitimate companies and jobs in your area. Chances are, if the specific role doesn’t pop up here and link to the official job posting, you’re dealing with a scammer. As a bonus, they offer additional resources for job seekers or individuals seeking training to build their skills.

Talk to someone you trust.

If you question the legitimacy of an opportunity, chat with a mentor, career advisor, trusted friend, or family member. They might spot red flags you initially missed, saving you from potential identity theft and the disappointment of a phony opportunity.

Research the company’s official recruitment process.

Many companies publish their formal recruitment process on their websites to help candidates know what to expect, as shown on our How to Apply page. If the “recruiter” skips a major part of that process, like an additional interview with a hiring manager, you might have a case of recruitment fraud on your hands.

Contact the company directly.

Use an actual phone number from the company’s official website, not the one provided by the “recruiter.” A quick Google search can tell you if the phone number is legitimate. If you call the company asking for the recruiter and nobody by that name works there, assume you’re being scammed.

Check the email domain.

Verify the recruiter’s email address against the company’s listed email domain on their website. The email domain is anything following the “@” in an email address. If the domains don’t match (or if you can’t find a website at all), it’s likely a fraudulent attempt.

Don’t pay for the promise of a job.

No honest employer will demand payment before you can secure the job. Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice page for more information on common job scams.

If you spot a recruitment scam, there are a few things you can do to keep the scammer from taking advantage of you and others.

• Contact the company directly and let them know that someone is falsely “recruiting” under their name.
• Report the scammer to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Ignore and delete the message immediately.

Remember: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Interested in learning more about Reynolds? Explore our (real) careers page to browse job opportunities and learn more about our company culture.