Job Scams Interactive

Job Scam Emails

Would you be able to tell a real job opportunity from a scam one? Tap 'Start' below, and you'll see a new email arrive.Click on anything you see that looks like the hallmark of a scam - then check your answers by tapping the yellow button...

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Your New Life Starts Now 🤑

Dear Sir!My name is Dr Marigold, I’m very impressed with your CV and would like to offer you a job, since we think you would be good fit for the role, which I trying to fill. My company will pay you handsomely for working from home, $45,000. Please click on the topjobs link to confirm your interest www.topjobs.co.uk Regrettably, my company will have to make a charge of $50 to verify your right to work. Sincerely, Dr Marigold

28 Nov, 3.15pm

From: Dr F MarigoldTo: me@mecloud.com

See all the warning signs!

Your New Life Starts Now 🤑

Dear Sir!My name is Dr Marigold, I’m very impressed with your CV and would like to offer you a job, since we think you would be good fit for the role, which I trying to fill. My company will pay you handsomely for working from home, $45,000. Please click on the topjobs link to confirm your interest WWW.topjobs.co.uk Regrettably, my company will have to make a charge of $50 to verify your right to work. Sincerely, Dr Marigold

28 Nov, 3.15pm

From: Dr F<drf@t0pjobsnow.co.uk>To: Me <me@mecloud.com]

See all the warning signs!

Mind Your Grammar

Everyone makes spelling and grammar errors from

time to time, but lots can be warning sign. Genuine companies will take time and care to make the tone of their communication professional, with good use of the reader's language.However, we can't rely on the existence of grammar errors as an indicator whether the email is genuine; if the email has been generated by AI, for example, it is unlikely to contain grammar errors.

Why Are You Offering me a Job Without an Interview?

Ask yourself where this person has found your CV. Have you uploaded a public copy

somewhere, which they might have seen? More importantly, why are they offering you a job without completing an interview and doing due diligence checks? These checks might be frustrating when you’re applying for a real job, but they provide some sense of being able to establish who the employer is, as well as, from the employer’s point of view, verifying who the employee is.

Why Am I Being Asked to Click?

It is very easy for an email to be crafted such that the URL showing in the email is not the URL you land on.Quite apart from job scams, this is how many phishing attacks are carried out; the landing page looks like a genuine login, for Microsoft 365, for example, but the URL in the address bar will be something entirely different.If you enter your details, the scammer will have the login details associated with what you thought was the genuine website, and can use them elsewhere.

Watch Your Currency

If the payment is offered in a currency which is not your own, this can mean that the company is either not aware that they are sending this to UK email address or the company is based overseas and not aware of the UK currency. However, this alone would not be an indicator that the email is fraudulent, because a company overseas could offer to pay you in their local currency.

Who Are You?

If you don’t recognise the sender’s name and have had no previous

contact with somebody of this name, think about whether the person is a genuine individual. If in doubt, look at the company from which the individual is purporting to come and verify if the company employs somebody of that name.This can be relatively easily to do, either through the company’s website or using websites like LinkedIn.

Mind Your Grammar

Look for obvious grammar errors. It can be an indication that the person who sent the email has English as a second language. However, do not rely on the existence of grammar errors as an indicator whether the email is genuine. If the email has been generated by AI, it is unlikely to contain grammar errors.

Why Am I Being Asked to Click?

It is very easy for an email to be crafted such that the URL showing in the email is not the URL you land on.Quite apart from job scams, this is how many phishing attacks are carried out; the landing page looks like a genuine login, for Microsoft 365, for example, but the URL in the address bar will be something entirely different.However, if you complete your details, the scammer has your login details associated with what you thought was the genuine website.

Why Aren’t You Addressing Me Personally?

Be wary of emails which don’t address you personally, a genuine

recruiter will always know what your name was because they would have seen your genuine details from somewhere you had deposited them. If somebody doesn’t know your name, they are taking a punt or just guessing at who you are.

Why Aren’t You Addressing Me Personally?

Be wary of emails which don’t address you personally; a genuine

recruiter will always know what your name is because they will have seen your details from somewhere you have submitted them.If somebody doesn’t know your name, they are likely just guessing at who you are.

Who Are You?

if you don’t recognise the sender’s name and have no

previous contact with somebody of this name think about whether the person is a genuine individual. If in doubt, look at the company from which the individual is purporting to come from, and verify if the company employs somebody of that name. This can be relatively easily to do either, through the company’s website using websites like LinkedIn.

Watch Your Currency

If the payment is offered in a currency which is not your

own, this can mean that the company is either not aware that they are emailing a UK address, or the company is based overseas and not aware of the UK currency.However, this alone would not be an indicator that the email is fraudulent, because a company overseas could offer to pay you in their local currency.

Why Is It Costing Me?

A genuine recruiter will not ask for payment before processing your application. In the UK, it is not lawful to charge somebody to find a job for them, this is covered under the Employment Agencies Act 1973.

Why Are You Offering me a Job Without an Interview?

Ask yourself where this person has found your CV, did you provide a publicly accessible

version of your CV which they might have seen? More importantly, why are they offering you a job without completing an interview and doing due diligence checks. These checks might be frustrating when you’re applying for a real job, but they provide some sense of being able to establish who the employer is as well as, from the employer’s point of view, verifying who the employee is.