A message from a Google or big-tech recruiter feels flattering, which is exactly why scammers impersonate them. Fake recruiters work LinkedIn, email, and Telegram, copying real company names and even real employees' profiles. The company being real is what makes the impersonation convincing. Here is how to tell a genuine tech recruiter from a fake one.
Signs a tech recruiter or job is fake
Walk away if any of these is true:
- They move you to Telegram or WhatsApp for the interview or offer.
- They ask for an equipment deposit, a fee, or your bank or Social Security details up front.
- They offer a high-paying remote role with no real interview, or hire you within a message or two.
- The recruiter writes from a free or lookalike email, not the company's real domain.
How to confirm a tech recruiter is real
Do not rely on the message itself. Go to the company's official careers site yourself, for Google that is careers.google.com, and check whether the role exists there. A real recruiter points you to apply on that site and writes from an official company domain. Confirm the person against the company's own employee directory or a verified profile, not just a name in a chat. See how to verify a recruiter is real and real recruiter email vs fake.
The task scam dressed up as a tech job
Some fake tech offers are really task scams: you are hired fast, asked to complete simple online tasks, and told you will be paid, then asked to deposit your own money to unlock earnings. A real technology job never asks you to pay to work. If money has to flow from you to them, it is a scam, whatever company name is on the message.
Check the offer now
Paste the message or the recruiter's note into the free job checker for an evidence-backed verdict in about twenty seconds. If you have already paid or shared personal details, report it to the FTC and follow the recovery checklist.