Spot scams before they cost you.
Short, practical checklists for the eight situations where most readers of this site lose money. Print them, share them, send them to your team.
How to verify a job offer
Before signing or paying anything, a legitimate offer should pass each of these checks.
- ✓ The recruiter writes from a company-owned domain, not a free mailbox.
- ✓ The company exists on LinkedIn, has employees, and the recruiter is one of them.
- ✓ The role is listed on the company careers page with the same title and salary band.
- ✓ No fee is requested — for training, equipment, background check, visa or anything else.
- ✓ Interviews happen on the company's stated tooling, not a stranger's Telegram or WhatsApp.
How to verify a recruiter
Independent recruiters are normal. Recruiters who refuse verification are not.
- ✓ Public LinkedIn profile older than 12 months with consistent history.
- ✓ Listed on the agency website's team page, or willing to email from the agency domain.
- ✓ Will video-call on a known platform; does not insist on chat-only.
- ✓ Does not ask for ID documents before a verified offer.
How to verify an overseas / recruitment agency
Most countries publish a register of licensed recruitment agencies. Use it.
- ✓ Licence number listed on the agency website and matches the government register.
- ✓ Physical address that returns real results on maps and street view.
- ✓ Contract is in writing, in your language, and you keep a signed copy.
- ✓ Fees match the legal maximum your jurisdiction allows (often zero for the worker).
How to verify a payment request
Invoice and bank-detail fraud now beats most email defences. Verify out-of-band.
- ✓ Call the vendor on a number you already had — not the one on the new invoice.
- ✓ Compare the bank account to the last invoice you paid. New accounts deserve a phone call.
- ✓ Beware of urgency: 'pay today to avoid late fees' is a pressure tactic.
- ✓ For large transfers, use a two-person approval rule.
How to spot fake investment apps
If returns are guaranteed, it is not investing — it is fraud.
- ✓ The platform is registered with your country's securities regulator.
- ✓ Withdrawals work for small amounts before you deposit more.
- ✓ No 'mentor', 'group chat' or 'VIP signal' is required.
- ✓ The app exists on the official Apple/Google store under the same legal name.
How to spot romance scams
Patterns repeat. Recognise them early and you save years of pain.
- ✓ They cannot or will not video-call live.
- ✓ Their photos reverse-image-search to someone else's account.
- ✓ An emergency requires money before you ever meet in person.
- ✓ They want to move the conversation off the dating app within hours.
How to spot phishing
The link, the sender, the urgency — check all three before clicking.
- ✓ The sender domain matches the brand exactly — not 'paypa1.com' or 'apple-support.io'.
- ✓ The link, hovered, points to the same domain as the sender.
- ✓ The message creates urgency: 'your account will be closed', 'unusual login'.
- ✓ When in doubt, open the app directly instead of clicking the link.
How to protect ID documents online
Once a clean scan of your ID is out, it is out. Treat sharing as a one-way action.
- ✓ Watermark every scan with the recipient name and date before sending.
- ✓ Never share an ID over chat; use the recipient's official secure-upload portal.
- ✓ Use a different password and email for government and financial accounts.
- ✓ Enable 2FA on email first — it controls every other reset.
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