If you missed last week’s post, we went over my dad’s struggles with job postings, the data behind scam, spam, and ghost jobs, and just how widespread this issue really is. Now that we know the problem, it’s time to focus on solutions. This week, I’m sharing a job post verification audit you can use—and pass along to job seekers in your life—to help them steer clear of bad job postings and stay on the right track.
How do you know you’re working with a spam, scam, or fake job posting before you take the time to apply? Here’s what I taught my Dad. It can help you, too.
Step 1: Verify the Role and Company
One of the easiest ways to spot a scam job posting is by verifying the role, company, and location—especially the address.
- Copy and paste the company name and address into Google, then cross-reference the results to ensure the company actually exists at that location.
- For ghost jobs, visit the company’s official website and check the careers section to confirm the job is listed there, not just on platforms like Indeed or LinkedIn.
- Be cautious—scammers can create fake company pages on job boards to make their postings look legitimate. Always verify through the company’s official site.
Step 2: Verify the Recruiter and Hiring Manager
Even if the company and job posting seem legitimate, the next step is to verify that the recruiter or hiring manager is an actual employee. This is especially important now that AI-generated personas are becoming more common.
Look for the recruiter or hiring manager’s name, email, or phone number in the job posting. If no contact is listed, this doesn’t automatically mean the job is fake, but be mindful of how much personal information you share before confirming legitimacy. To verify their identity, search for them on Google or LinkedIn to confirm they actually work for the company, and check the company’s website to see if they are listed as an employee.
Step 3: Verify Contact Information Like Emails & Phone Numbers
Scammers often use slightly altered or entirely fake email addresses and phone numbers to pose as legitimate recruiters. Even if a job looks real, the communication you receive could still be fraudulent. Even tech savvy Gen-Z types get caught by this one.
How to Spot a Fake Email or Phone Number:
- Compare the sender’s email address to the company’s official email format (e.g., @company.com). Watch out for minor misspellings or unusual domains like @company-jobs.net instead of @company.com.
- Cross-check the recruiter’s contact details with those listed on the company’s official website or LinkedIn.
- Cross-check the area code of any phone numbers you’re in touch with and the location of the role, company, or contact.
Use free online tools to verify email addresses before responding:
- RocketReach – Finds professional email addresses and phone numbers, integrates with LinkedIn.
- SignalHire – Provides contact details, including phone numbers and social profiles.
- Hunter.io – Specializes in finding and verifying emails associated with companies.
- FindThatLead – Allows domain-based email searches and verification.
- Snov.io – Email finder and verifier with CRM integration.
Verifying contact information ensures that even if the job posting seems real, you’re not being tricked by a scammer posing as a recruiter.
Step 4: Final Gut Check – Trust Your Intuition and Do Extra Research
Sometimes, your intuition is your best defense during job post verification. If something feels off, don’t ignore it—take the time to investigate further. Use platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed to check the company’s reputation and read employee experiences. Be cautious of “too good to be true” offers – if a job offers an extremely high salary with little experience required or has vague details, it’s likely a scam.
At the end of the day, your gut feeling matters. If something doesn’t sit right, it’s better to walk away than risk being scammed.
Protection During the Job Search
Job searching can already be stressful, and the last thing anyone needs is to fall victim to a scam. That’s why staying vigilant is so important—whether you’re searching for yourself or helping someone else, like a parent who may be new to online job hunting. Older adults, young job seekers, and people in desperate financial situations are the most common targets. They may not know what red flags to look for, but you do.
If you encounter a fake job posting during this job post verification process, there are ways to report these posts so that others don’t go through the same things. You can report the job posting on whatever platform it’s posted on, such as on Indeed; you can click the three dots on the job post and click “report job.” Same goes for LinkedIn. On Glassdoor, you can flag the job as inappropriate.
Beyond the platform the job post was posted on, you should also report employment scams to federal agencies. The Federal Trade Commission helps track and take action against fraudulent businesses and the Better Business Bureau has a free Scam Tracker tool available. You can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
If you’ve already provided your personal information to a potentially fake job posting, you can report identity theft to identitytheft.gov and contact your bank to reverse any money transfers. Taking action helps protect not just yourself, but other job seekers from falling into the same traps!
Share this information with the people in your life who are job hunting, especially those who are more vulnerable. Who popped into your head while reading this? A friend looking for work? A parent struggling with online applications? Send them this post now. Helping even one person avoid a scam could save them time, stress, or even financial loss.
More Posts In This Series:
