Chapter 6 of 12 · When you start applying
Job hunting safely: spotting fake recruiters
- How do I know a recruiter is real?
- Someone sent me a coding test to run on my computer. Is that safe?
- What should I never share during a job search?
People looking for work are a known target for scams. Some fake recruiters want money, some want personal details for identity fraud and some send coding tests or meeting software that installs malware. As someone entering security, spotting these is also good practice.
Warning signs
- An offer or interview with almost no process, or pay that seems far above the role.
- Requests to pay for training, equipment or a background check before you start.
- A recruiter who only uses personal email or messaging apps and avoids video calls.
- Pressure to act quickly or keep the process secret.
- A coding test that asks you to clone a repository and run it, especially with install steps.
- Requests for bank details, ID documents or passwords early in the process.
Checks that take five minutes
- Find the job on the company’s own careers page, reached by typing the address yourself.
- Check the recruiter’s profile history and whether colleagues at the company know them.
- Contact the company through its official channel and ask whether the role is real.
- Search the recruiter’s name and the company with the word scam.
The question you might not ask out loud
The take-home test looks real. How do I run it safely?
Read the code and any install scripts before running anything. If you do run it, use a throwaway virtual machine with nothing personal on it and no saved logins. If a test insists on running on your own computer with special permissions, treat that as a red flag.
Rule of thumb:A real employer does not ask you to pay to get a job. If money flows from you to them, stop.
If you think you have been targeted, stop responding, keep the messages and report the profile to the platform. If you ran something, disconnect that machine, change passwords from a different device and get help. Writing up a scam attempt you spotted, with personal details removed, can also make a good portfolio piece.
None of this means every unusual approach is a scam. Small companies and busy recruiters sometimes cut corners. The point is to verify before you trust, the same habit you will use every day in a security job. A real employer will not mind you checking, and a scammer usually will.