How to Verify a Recruiter Is Actually From the Company They Claim
If you’ve received an unsolicited message from someone claiming to recruit for a recognisable company, it’s reasonable to feel both excited and slightly uncertain. The good news is that verifying whether this person is genuine doesn’t require any special access or technical skill, just a habit of checking through channels the recruiter themselves doesn’t control.
Check the Email Domain, Carefully
This is the fastest and most reliable first check. A genuine recruiter’s email should come from the company’s actual official domain, not a close variation of it.
Does the domain exactly match the company’s real website?
“recruiter@infosys-careers.com” is meaningfully different from the company’s actual official domain, even though it looks plausible at a glance.
A generic email provider for a supposedly corporate recruiter
A recruiter from a large, established company emailing from a personal Gmail or Yahoo address, with no official domain anywhere in the conversation, is a meaningful inconsistency.
Search for the Recruiter Independently, Not Through Links They Sent You
Rather than clicking any link the recruiter provides, search for them directly using your own search engine or professional networking platform.
A brand-new profile with minimal history and no mutual connections is worth treating with caution
Call the Company’s Official Number Directly
This is one of the most effective verification steps and is often skipped simply because it feels like an extra step.
Find the company’s official number through their real website
Not a number the recruiter gave you, but one you found independently through the company’s verified contact page.
Ask the company’s official HR line to confirm the recruiter and the opening
A simple, direct question, “Can you confirm whether [name] is recruiting for [role] on your behalf,” is enough to settle this quickly.
Check Whether the Role Is Actually Listed on the Company’s Own Careers Page
Most established companies maintain an official careers page listing current openings. If the specific role doesn’t appear there at all, this is worth questioning directly with the recruiter or the company.
Be Cautious If the Process Skips Standard Steps Entirely
A recruitment process that moves straight to an offer, document collection, or payment requests, without any of the standard steps you’d expect for that type of role, is worth treating carefully.
At least one substantive conversation or screening step
Even fast-moving, genuine hiring processes typically include some verification of your background and fit, rather than skipping straight to paperwork.
“The message itself, however polished, isn’t where verification happens. It happens entirely through channels the sender doesn’t control, which is exactly why those channels are worth using every time.”
WorkRightsIndiaQuick Reference
| Verification Step | What It Confirms |
|---|---|
| Email domain check | Whether the sender is actually connected to the company |
| Independent profile search | Whether the recruiter has a genuine, consistent professional history |
| Calling the company’s official number | Direct confirmation from a source the recruiter doesn’t control |
| Checking the official careers page | Whether the specific role genuinely exists |
What to Do Right Now
- Check the sender’s email domain against the company’s actual official website.
- Call the company’s official number, found independently, to confirm the recruiter and the role.
- Never share sensitive personal documents or make any payment before this verification is complete.
The One Line to Remember
A polished message proves nothing about who actually sent it. A quick check through a channel the sender doesn’t control, like the company’s official number or website, proves quite a lot.
This article is for informational purposes only. If you believe you’ve encountered a recruitment scam or impersonation, you can report it to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or your local police cyber cell.