How to recognize a fraudulent vacancy: 12 signs and what to do

Fraudulent job postings are not uncommon, but an industry. Their goal is to scam you out of money, personal information, or free labor. The good news: almost all of them give themselves away even before the response. Below are the signs by which a scam is immediately visible, and what to do if you stumble upon it.

12 signs of a job scam

1. They ask for money “at the start”

Payment for training, materials, uniforms, “guarantee deposit”, access to the client base - any payment from the applicant is red flag No. 1. The real employer pays you, not the other way around.

2. They promise unrealistic income

“From 300,000 ₽ without experience”, “income from the first day”, “easy money” - if the numbers are noticeably higher than the market with minimum requirements, this is a bait, not a salary.

3. Vague description without specifics

There are no clear responsibilities, requirements and conditions - only emotions, emoticons and “growth prospects”. A real vacancy describes a job, not a dream.

4. Pressure with urgency

“Today only,” “2 spots left,” “decide right now.” Artificial rush is needed so that you do not have time to think and check.

5. Asking for personal information too early

Passport, bank details, codes from SMS before official registration - this is an attempt to gain access to your money or get a loan for you.

6. Communication only in messenger from a “private” account

There is no company website, no corporate email, no legal entity - only a phone or Telegram without a trace. This is not how serious hiring is done.

7. Pyramid or “network” under the guise of hiring

If the “job” is to bring other people or invest your money, it is not a vacancy, but a financial scheme.

8. Strange domain and email

Letters on behalf of a large company from free mailboxes, domains with typos (google-jobs.xyz), links to third-party forms are a reason to be wary.

9. “Work” is sending money or goods

“Financial agent”, “transfer manager”, receiving parcels to your address - this is what money laundering and droppership look like. You risk criminal liability.

10. The test task is suspiciously “combat”

If the “test” is a real large project that immediately goes into production, you are used as free labor.

11. Perfect reviews and zero criticism

Dozens of equally enthusiastic reviews written in one day look just as suspicious as their complete absence.

12. No digital footprint

Google the company and the vacancy text. No news, no legal entity, no mentions - either the company does not exist, or it really does not want to be found.

Verification algorithm in 5 minutes

• Check the legal entity by TIN in open registers (Unified State Register of Legal Entities/Unified State Register of Legal Entities): whether there is a company, how old it is.
• Look at the site and domain: domain age, corporate email, real contacts.
• Find reviews about the employer and news - pay attention to specifics, not emotions.
• Check the salary with the market for similar vacancies: a strong overestimation is a warning sign.
• Never pay or transfer codes/documents before official employment.

What to do if you have already encountered

Stop communicating and don't pay anything. If you have provided your card details, block it and notify the bank. In case of financial loss - report to the police. And tell the site where you found the vacancy so that it can be removed.

How does jojob help?

For each vacancy, we show a trust rating and fact signals from open sources, and new vacancies from employers are moderated (human + AI). This is not a 100% guarantee, but it saves you hours of checks and cuts off obvious scams.