Most job scams don’t look like scams at first. They look like good news: a call from a recruiter, a role that matches your CV, an interview “already arranged”. The trick comes a little later, when you’re asked to pay for something.

This guide covers the checks we’d want any job seeker to run, including on us.

The one rule that catches most scams

A genuine recruiter does not charge you. In India, recruitment agencies are paid by the employer when a hire is made. That’s how we work, and it’s how most legitimate firms work.

So if anyone asks you to pay a “registration fee”, a “training deposit”, a “laptop security amount”, a “document verification charge” or anything similar to get a job or an interview, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise. The name of the fee changes. The pattern doesn’t.

Four checks that take under a minute

1. Look at the email address

Real recruiters at a firm write from the firm’s own domain, such as name@agnihire.com. Be careful with offers that arrive from free email addresses, or from a domain that is one letter off a well-known company’s name.

2. Check the WhatsApp number

Many firms use a WhatsApp Business account with the company name on it. Ask the recruiter which number the company officially uses, then check it against the company’s website. If the website lists different numbers, ask why.

3. Look the person up

Ask for the recruiter’s full name and look for them on LinkedIn. A real recruiter usually has a profile that shows where they work, and a history that makes sense. Be wary of profiles created last week with no connections.

4. Notice what they ask for

A real recruiter will ask about your work, your current and expected salary, and your notice period. They should also be able to tell you the company, the role and the salary band, or at least the industry and city if the search is confidential.

They should not ask for:

  • Money of any kind, at any stage
  • An OTP sent to your phone
  • Bank account, UPI PIN or card numbers
  • A full copy of your Aadhaar (if ID is needed later, a masked Aadhaar showing only the last four digits is enough)

Red flags worth taking seriously

  • The offer comes before the interview. Real employers want to meet you first.
  • The pay is far above the market for the role. If it sounds too good, ask how they arrived at the number.
  • There’s pressure to act today. “Only two seats left”, “pay before 6 pm”. Scammers use urgency so you don’t stop to check.
  • The interview happens only on chat. Most genuine hiring involves at least one call or video conversation with someone from the company.
  • They avoid simple questions. A real recruiter can tell you who they work for and where the office is.

If you think a recruiter is fake

Stop replying, and don’t pay or share anything else. Then:

  1. If money has been taken, call 1930 immediately. It’s the national cyber fraud helpline, and reporting quickly gives the best chance of stopping the payment.
  2. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in, the Government of India’s cyber crime reporting portal. Keep screenshots of chats, call logs and payment receipts.
  3. Report the number. The Department of Telecommunications’ Sanchar Saathi portal lets you report suspected fraud calls and messages.
  4. Tell the real company. If someone used a firm’s name, the firm will want to know so it can warn others.

How to check us

You can verify anyone who says they’re from AgniHire on our Is this really AgniHire? page. It lists the only email domain and WhatsApp numbers we use, and the people on our team. If you’re still unsure, message us with the name and number of the person who contacted you, and we’ll confirm within one working day.

And the promise we make to every candidate: we will never ask you for money. Not for registration, not for training, not for anything.