Schemes aimed at job seekers work better than most for a simple reason: someone looking for work is in a vulnerable position and wants to make a good impression. They are ready to send documents, complete tasks and not ask awkward questions — exactly the behaviour the scheme relies on.
The schemes
| Scheme | How it looks | What gives it away |
|---|---|---|
| Payment for processing | “Pay for the uniform, we will refund it with your first salary” | An employer never takes money |
| A paid test task | “Pay for access to the platform for the test” | Access for a test is provided by the company |
| Card details “for salary” | They ask for the number, expiry and the code on the back | To credit a card, the number is enough |
| Document scans before an interview | “Send your passport for a check” | Documents are shown at hiring, not in a chat |
| Passing on other people's money | “Receive payments and forward them, keep a percentage” | That is participation in laundering — with liability for you |
| A vacancy with no interview | Hired immediately, by message, with no conversation | Real hiring does not work that way |
| Training at your own expense | “The course is mandatory, then we will employ you” | Selling a course dressed up as hiring |
How to check an employer
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Find the company separately from the vacancy
Not through a link in a message but by searching. A real company has a website, a history and traces of existing for more than a month.
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Check the email domain
A letter from a “large company” sent from a free mailbox is an immediate question. The domain in the address should match the company's site.
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Call the company on its own number
Not the one given in the conversation. Ask whether such a vacancy and such an employee exist.
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Check the registration details
Name, registration number, address — all of it is in public registers and takes a minute to verify.
What not to send before hiring
- Scans of your passport or other documents
- Card details beyond the number
- Codes from messages — never, to anyone
- A selfie holding a document
- A CV without identity document details
- Links to a portfolio
- A card number for payment — at the hiring stage
- Documents in person or through the company's HR system
If card details have already been sent, act as with account access: block the card and call the bank. If document scans were sent, the procedure is different and covered in a personal data leak.