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Job Fraud Prevention Guide
In today’s digital age, professional networking has become increasingly important for career development and growth. Whether you’re searching to learn about jobs from colleagues, find talent or just connect with people in your industry, Bold.pro is dedicated to your success. Unfortunately, with the arrival of online networking sites, job boards and recruitment platforms, fraudsters and scammers have evolved to develop more nuanced and complex schemes with the goal of stealing your personal information. Here’s how to identify, avoid, and protect yourself from common job-related scams:
How will we communicate with you?
We will always communicate with you through official channels, such as our website, account dashboard, or from our verified company email address such as support@bold.com.

Red Flag: Emails from unverified domains (e.g., @gmail.com, @yahoo.com) or messages requesting immediate action, such as paying for certifications, materials, training, or tools.
Forms of Communication used by Legitimate Employers in the Job Search Process
Legitimate employers will typically use professional and transparent methods to communicate during the hiring process. Below you will find common forms of communication and tips for identifying authenticity:
  1. Email
    What to expect:
    Professional emails sent from verified company domains (e.g., @companyname.com). Emails often contain details about the position, next steps, and contact details for the recruiter or hiring manager.
    Red Flags:
    • Emails from free domains (e.g., @google.com, @yahoo.com).
    • Spelling and grammar errors or vague job descriptions.
  2. Phone Calls
    What to expect:
    Recruiters may call to confirm details, conduct initial screenings, or schedule interviews. Legitimate calls are often professional and provide clear information about the company, role, and expectations.
    Red Flags:
    • Calls that pressure you to act immediately or provide sensitive information.
    • Unprofessional tone or refusal to provide specifics about the job or company.
  3. Video Interviews
    What to expect:
    Employers often use video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet for remote interviews. Invitations typically come through official company emails or calendars.
    Red Flags:
    • Request to use informal platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram for interviews.
    • Poor-quality video setups or unverified links.
  4. Official Company Websites
    What to expect:
    Legitimate employers often direct you to apply or communicate through their official website. Career pages may also provide updates about your application status.
    Red Flags:
    • Links that redirect to unofficial or suspicious websites.
    • Lack of security on the website (e.g., no HTTPS)
  5. Written Offers
    What to expect:
    Job offers are typically shared as official documents via email or applicant records.They include position, salary, start date, and other key details.
    Red Flags:
    • Vague or incomplete offers.
    • Offers that require you to pay upfront fees.
What are some of the top job scams targeting job seekers?
  1. Phishing Attempts
    • Scammers may send messages or emails with malicious links, asking you to “verify your account”” or provide sensitive personal information.
    • Watch out for poor grammar, vague job descriptions, or email addresses not matching the official company domain.
  2. Fake job offers
    • Scammers pretend to represent legitimate companies and offer high-paying jobs with minimal qualifications.
    • Watch out for requests for payment to process your application, training, or equipment.
  3. Time sensitive offers
    Scammers often:
    • Pressure to act now.
    • Time sensitive job offer.
    • Urgently hiring.
    • Once in a lifetime opportunity.
  4. Upfront Payment scams
    • Scammers posing as employers, recruiters or hiring managers requiring payment for certifications, equipment, office supplies, or training.
    • Scammers may request payment for fast-track applications or guaranteeing job interviews.
  5. Impersonation of Recruiters
    • Fake recruiters claim to represent well-known companies and request private information like Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank details.
    • Watch out for lack of verifiable credentials or profiles that seem incomplete or newly created.
How to avoid common job scams
Do your research! Trust but verify.
  • Scams and frauds usually contain grammatical errors, improper verb conjugations, and misspelled email addresses.
  • Research the legitimacy of the Company, employer, headhunter, staffing agencies and other placement firms.
  • When speaking to the potential company, employer, headhunter, or staffing agency look for a lack of professionalism in communications.
  • Use the name of the company, employer, headhunter, staffing agencies or other placement firms to conduct a search of their online presence and legitimacy.
  • Search for the terms “complaint,” “fraud,” or “scam” as well as the name of the company, employer, staffing agency or placement firm.
  • Reach out to the company, employer, headhunter, staffing agency or placement firm directly via the phone to ascertain their legitimacy.
  • Search for the alleged recruiter’s public profile for connections, level of engagement, or any incomplete information in their profile.
  • If you encounter a company, employer, headhunter, staffing agency, or other individual who pressures you to reveal personal or financial information early on in the job application process it may be a good idea to take a breather and verify the legitimacy of those communications and/or requests.
Beware of upfront fees.
  • Authentic and legitimate employers will not ask for payment in exchange for background checks, interview reservations, training fees, placement fees or resume or cover letter formatting fees.
  • Beware of alleged employers who request to conduct any financial transactions on their behalf.
Reporting Suspicious Activity
If you encounter a suspicious message or interaction, please follow these steps:
  • Report the profile: Use our platform’s reporting tools to flag the account or message.
  • Contact Us: Notify our customer service team immediately with details of the incident
  • Avoid Further Contact: Do not engage with or respond to suspected scammers or fraudsters.
  • Contact Consumer Protection Agency: Report the suspicious message or interaction to your consumer protection agency.
  • Contact Financial Institution: If you have shared any financial information, we implore you to contact your financial institution and monitor your accounts for any unusual activity.