How can I tell if a job interview on WhatsApp or Telegram is a scam?
A real interview involves a person you can see or hear, questions about your experience and time to decide. A chat-only "interview" that offers you the job within the hour, avoids calls and moves quickly to fees, deposits or your ID and bank details is a scam.
The interviewer uses a company name and sometimes a real employee's name taken from LinkedIn. The questions are generic and the answers do not matter. The goal is a payment or your documents.
Questions that expose it
- "Can we do this by video call?" A real recruiter can.
- "Which office will I work from, and who is my manager?" Then phone that office.
- "Is there any payment from my side?" If yes, it is a scam.
- "Can you send the offer from a company email address?" Free email addresses are a sign.
- Check the number and email address for scam reports before you send anything.
Frequently asked questions
- The company is real and the interviewer's name is a real employee. Is it legit then?
- Not necessarily. Scammers borrow real names. Phone the company and ask whether that person is recruiting.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
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