1
Recognize patterns
Our tools compare the text or public domain details you provide with plain-language warning signs commonly used in job scams.
The process
Three steps, with the decision left to you
2
Explain the concern
Each result names the pattern and explains why it matters, so a score never has to stand on its own.
3
Verify independently
Use an employer’s official website or a telephone number you find yourself—not contact details supplied by the recruiter.
What our tools look for
Examples of signals that call for more verification
| Signal | Why it matters | A safer next step |
|---|---|---|
| Money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a fee before work begins | Legitimate employers generally do not make candidates pay to receive a job. | Stop before sending money. Contact the company through an independently found channel. |
| A check paired with instructions to buy equipment or send funds elsewhere | Funds can appear available before a fraudulent check is returned unpaid. | Do not spend or forward money. Ask your bank for guidance and preserve the message. |
| Requests for banking details, a Social Security number, passwords, or identity documents before verification | Personal information can be misused for identity theft or account takeover. | Do not send the information. Verify the role and employer first. |
| Urgency, isolation, or an interview only by messaging app | Pressure can keep a candidate from independently checking the opportunity. | Slow down. Search for the company and role on the company’s official website. |
| A recruiter email or website that does not match the company | Look-alike names and domains can impersonate real businesses. | Compare it with the company’s official domain and contact the company directly. |
Limits that matter
A result is not a verdict
No checker can prove that an offer is safe.
A scam can avoid a familiar phrase, and a legitimate message can contain wording that resembles a warning sign. Use OfferSentry as a starting point, not a substitute for your own judgment, the employer’s official information, or advice from a qualified professional.
- OfferSentry does not investigate companies, recruiters, or job postings.
- It does not make legal, financial, employment, or identity-theft determinations.
- Its message checker runs in your browser and is designed not to upload or store the text you enter.
- Public domain information can be useful context, but domain age and technical records do not prove legitimacy or fraud.
When a signal appears
Pause, preserve, and verify
Do not send money or sensitive information. Save the message, email address, phone number, payment instructions, and any job-posting link. Then use contact details from the employer’s official website to ask whether the role and recruiter are real. If you believe you encountered a scam, report it to the appropriate platform and consumer-protection agency.
Sources and further reading
Where our safety guidance begins
OfferSentry’s guides are written in original language and reviewed against primary consumer-protection sources. We update pages when the underlying guidance or scam patterns change.
- Federal Trade Commission: Job scams
- Federal Trade Commission: ReportFraud
- IdentityTheft.gov: recovery resources
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
Last reviewed: August 15, 2026. Read our editorial standards for how articles are sourced, updated, and corrected.
Use the checker with context
Paste a recruiter message, review the explanation, and verify the employer independently.