Afni News

How to Know if a Recruiter Is Legit?

February 27, 2024 in

Any job seeker, with or without experience, wants to land a job with a competitive salary and other benefits. However, you need to distinguish between a real offer and a fake one. Some recruiters may appear trustworthy when targeting you for their next identity theft or cybercrime. So, it is good to learn how to know if a recruiter is legitimate.

We will help you stay alert with whom you share personal, banking, or other sensitive information and when is the right time to share them. You will learn how to identify and report fake recruiters to prevent others from getting scammed.

How to Know If a Recruiter Is Legitimate

Most job seekers turn to LinkedIn as the most reputable social network with legitimate job listings. LinkedIn has been a door to great opportunities for many employees, but many got scammed. It’s not the network to blame when damage is done, but it may be poor judgment.

If you want to make a positive career shift and land a good job opportunity, you need to learn how to tell if a fake job recruiter is scamming you. For example, you can research the recruiter or agency, consider the communication and transparency, as well as trust your feelings.

We explained in detail how to know if a recruiter is legitimate on Linkedin in order to avoid unwanted scenarios.

Researching the recruiter or recruiting agency

The most important step before you apply to a job ad is to verify the authenticity of the hiring specialist. Visit their site, make a background check, and see if the company exists.

Many recruiters use the name and reputation of a given company when, in fact, they might be fraudsters. However, these scams have fooled many applicants into sharing their personal information and undergoing fraud.

Additionally, you shouldn’t skip the reviews. Check online forums where past employees or applicants share their experiences; client testimonials are a credible source. Yet, aside from the forums, feel free to contact the employees working for the company to confirm the claims.

Assessing communication and transparency

Reputable recruiters post professional job ads that transparently communicate the duties, salary, and payment methods. They briefly explain the interview protocols and other relevant data about the job or the recruitment process so the applicant can be prepared.

Currently, many scammers also sugarcoat the job ad. You may see that they’re looking for a “superstar” who “wants to outperform themselves”. Under benefits, you may see “positive environment” or ”casual Fridays, meaning you can wear what you want. While such descriptions may sound appealing, it's crucial to scrutinize and ensure genuine employee benefits.

We advise you to skip if the job post lacks components like paid health insurance, career development opportunities, or holiday flexibility. It’s either a low salary for tons of work or little work for no salary. In both ways, it’s a waste of time.

Trusting your instincts and gut feeling

Always follow your instincts. Do not pursue the communication if your gut feeling says this job ad is a scam. You should never disclose information to someone you don’t trust or doubt their motives.

How to Know If a Recruiter Is Fake?

Although scammers have different motives, they show the same patterns, which allows us to highlight the usual red flags of a recruiter. We provided some tips that will teach you how to tell if you’re being scammed by a fake job recruiter.

How to identify fake recruiters from the job posting

You can recognize fake jobs even from the job posting. Impostor recruiters would use one of the leading advantages – 100% remote – as a great opportunity and lure many job seekers for a decent opportunity.

Another potential sign of exploitation is an unrealistic salary. If you're starting to look for a job, beware of any job offer offering over $35 per hour with little to no experience in the field.

If you get an offer over $35 hourly, it's a double red flag, allowing you to work fully remotely. The truth is companies don't pay that high for you to work remotely. They need to gain trust in you before you can enjoy this benefit.

So, such posts might be a scam in 90% of cases, but feel free to ask around and verify the information. You never know what the future holds for you.

How to tell if you're being scammed by a fake job recruiter

We mentioned that impostor recruiters imitate real and reputable recruiter behavior. Hence, you have to evaluate the situation and look for the following signs.

Do not send money if the recruiter asks for an initial deposit for equipment or other materials. Recruiters don’t ask these questions before your onboarding. Another question they don’t typically ask is the banking information. Legit recruiters ask for this information during the onboarding or after.

The last and most common sign is getting the job right on the spot. You should have at least two to three interviews before you get the job. Getting the job right on the spot might be suspicious.

How to report fake recruiters

Remember that you can report fake recruiters. If you find yourself in a situation where your recruiter did most of the above signs and red flags, you can report them and spare yourself from the trouble.

You can contact the Federal Trade Commission, FTC, or the Better Business Bureau. These two regulatory bodies control the credibility of the recruiters. You can also contact consumer protection agencies and make a direct report; you will spare others from getting scammed.

Additionally, you can even share your experience on popular online platforms to prevent others from becoming victims of recruiter scams. Ensure you leave the company's name to warn others to avoid that job.

Find the Right Job for You With Afni

Everybody wants a good job opportunity with an excellent salary, the right to choose the working mode, and fewer work responsibilities. In reality, this is exactly what a job scam sounds like.

No legitimate company will provide that big comfort unless you're working for yourself. If you have big responsibilities, you will have less comfort than other commodities like bigger salary and authority, and vice versa.

To find a decent job, you have ro recognize a real offer and learn how to know if a recruiter is legitimate. If you have no experience in finding a decent job opportunity, then allow us to help you find the right career path.

Here at Afni, you can access multiple job opportunities in the insurance industry. We have helped 10,000 people from all around the globe to find the right job for them and evolve professionally. If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to help!

About the Author

Samantha is the Recruitment Marketing Manager for Afni and brings a wealth of knowledge and tips for job seekers. She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations and marketing from Mount Saint Vincent University as well as a masters degree in digital marketing and advertising from Liberty University.