{"id":4192,"date":"2026-02-05T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/?p=4192"},"modified":"2026-04-24T09:46:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:46:33","slug":"spotting-job-scams-on-whatsapp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.com\/blog\/spotting-job-scams-on-whatsapp\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotting job scams on WhatsApp: 6 major red flags to look out for"},"content":{"rendered":"

Job hunting is stressful. It can feel like you\u2019re sending hundreds of applications into a void, only to be ghosted by the majority of employers. You\u2019re desperate to hear back, and that can lead to overlooking recruitment scam red flags because you want to land a job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, we\u2019ve seen scammers increasingly preying on such vulnerabilities in a bid to gain access to jobseekers\u2019 personal information, or their money.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth reminding yourself about what to look out for so you can stay vigilant during your job search. <\/span>In this article, we\u2019ll share six major red flags to watch out for and ways to cross-check any job ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember, Adzuna will never reach out to you via phone or WhatsApp\/SMS, whether it is about job applications, your sensitive personal information, or your bank information. If you ever receive a suspicious message, please do not respond and <\/span>report it to the authorities<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n

What\u2019s in it for fraudsters?<\/h2>\n

Never assume that it\u2019s only your time and energy wasted if a job ad turns out to be fraudulent. Even if you haven\u2019t lost any money or been contacted, scammers can retrieve your private contact information from your resume without your knowledge, such as your address, phone number, driving license and even social security number, and this can open you up to identity theft. Fraudsters can commit credit card fraud, apply for loans, divert your social security benefits, and retrieve medical care in your name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to avoid identity theft<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s job market, it is no longer necessary to include sensitive personal information in your resume, such as full address, date of birth and social security number. List a broad location, such as New York City (or remote) instead and leave off the finer details to protect yourself from identity theft. Never include bank details on your resume, job application, or covering letter.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The rise in WhatsApp scams<\/h2>\n

In one scam that is becoming increasingly prevalent, scammers are posing on WhatsApp as headhunters, recruiters, companies, <\/span>or even job search engines like Adzuna<\/span>. The fraudsters will contact you directly via WhatsApp or text message asking for information about your ‘job application’. These messages will typically be vague and come from a number you\u2019re not familiar with. If the scammers give you a job offer immediately and the job is outside the country, they might ask for an administration fee for arranging travel, accommodation and visas. The scammers may also claim they are still reviewing your application, before asking you to pay some administration fees to complete background checks or resume checks. Needless to say, any such messages are from fraudsters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another common tactic scammers use nowadays is asking for cryptocurrency payments or details. The crypto sector still has limited legal regulation, there is no centralized authority to monitor transactions, and all transfers are irreversible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of most fraudsters is to take your money. According to the Better Business Bureau, employment scams cost workers about $2 billion in direct losses each year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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6 major red flags to look out for in job ads (and what you can do to verify)<\/h2>\n

Here are six tell-tale signs that the job ad you\u2019re interested in is illegitimate. As a general rule, you shouldn\u2019t apply for any jobs with more than two red flags.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Short and vague job description<\/h3>\n

Many fraudsters often pose as employers to prey on <\/span>desperate jobseekers. <\/span>If you can’t tell much about the role and the company after reading the job ad, it\u2019s a major red flag. Genuine job listings usually provide specific details about the role, including job responsibilities, company background, information about the interview process, as well as the compensation and benefits package, and job expectations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lack of essential details and limited profile suggest that the advertised role might not exist. With the advent of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated. They may make use of these tools to create a more realistic job ad.<\/span> However, if the job description doesn\u2019t match the advertised job title and the content is still too generic, it\u2019s probably written by AI.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do next?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Google the company and the contact person who posted the job ad. You can visit the company website or social media accounts and cross-check if they are advertising the role with similar job descriptions. You can also do background checks on the contact person and the employees via LinkedIn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unusually high salary<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t get carried away if you spot an unusually high advertised salary. I<\/span>f the position you\u2019re seeking for typically has a much lower salary, this should ring alarm bells. Similar to other scams, fraudsters usually promise abnormally high rewards to lure you in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do next?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Conduct preliminary research on the average salary of the roles you are interested in and learn your market value. An easy start would be using our tool <\/span>ValueMyResume<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s free of charge, and all you need to do is to upload your resume. It gives you an estimate of your current market value and proposes possible career paths you might be interested to explore.<\/span><\/p>\n

The more time-consuming way is to investigate the company online to find out the salary range they usually offer, followed by doing a market research learning the average salary range of your position and comparing it with the one in the job ad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Timeliness of ad<\/h3>\n

Ghost ads \u2013 job ads that companies are not actively looking to fill \u2013 are often open for longer periods. If a job has been open for more than a month, it\u2019s worth digging a bit deeper to see if it\u2019s genuine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghost jobs may be more likely at larger companies. It could be a PR tactic to give off the impression that the company is growing. Hiring managers may also keep vacancies open permanently to provide a pipeline of talent should workers quit or to act as a reminder for their own employees that the company holds the monopoly power over employees. Even if the job poster is from a legitimate company, you shouldn\u2019t be sharing your data with companies who are not interested in hiring anyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do next?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Check the company\u2019s website. Is the specific job listing posted there? While many companies post on different websites for their job ads, those positions posted on third-party websites are usually posted on their company website\u2019s career page because it\u2019s usually free.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find the job ad on the company\u2019s website, the position could have expired. The consequences could be much more serious than what you think. If you did apply for the role, it means you are sharing your personal data and private information with the job poster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fishy contact details<\/h3>\n

Most employers use their business email domain to conduct interviews. If it\u2019s an email domain that anyone can sign up for \u2013 for example gmail.com \u2013 it might not be a legitimate employer. Scammers are getting smarter. Some are setting up bogus email profiles posing as a registered company but changing the domain names by just one character or by country, for example, from .com to .net\/.org.\/.ru.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do next?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

You should be able to find out via the company website what their emails should look like. Alternatively, try looking up an employee on LinkedIn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor spelling and grammar<\/h3>\n

Poor spelling and grammar and weird formatting should also be something to keep an eye out for. Normally, before a job is listed, at least a few people will have read the post to check the spelling and grammar and to make sure that the message is clear. If it\u2019s poorly written and vague, this is a sign that it\u2019s not legitimate.<\/span><\/p>\n