The display name says the real company. Isn't that enough?

No. The display name is just a label the sender chooses and can say anything. What matters is the actual email address, specifically the domain after the @ symbol. Read that, not the name.

What does a lookalike domain look like?

It is a near-miss of the real one, like acme-careers.com or acme-hr.net instead of acme.com, or a tiny misspelling such as acrne.com. It is built to pass a quick glance, so compare it letter by letter to the company's real domain.

Is a Gmail recruiter always a scam?

Not always, but a free address for a salaried corporate role is a strong warning. Real companies hire from their own domain. Treat a free or unfamiliar domain as a reason to verify the recruiter independently before sharing anything.

How do I tell a real recruiter email from a fake one?

The fastest tell in a recruiter email is the part most people skip: the domain after the @. Read it slowly and a lot of scams give themselves away.

The rule

A real recruiter at a real company emails from that company's primary domain, the same one you reach by typing the company name into your browser. A free address or a near-miss domain is a reason to stop and verify, especially if it comes with a fast offer or a request for money or ID.

How to read the address

Ignore the display name. Look at the actual address, the text after the @.
Compare the domain letter by letter to the company's real domain.
Watch for free domains (gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com) on a corporate role.
Watch for lookalikes: extra words like "-careers" or "-hr," a different ending like .net, or a small misspelling. That is a lookalike domain.

What it looks like in a scam

A polished email that names a real company, sent from a free or near-miss address, with a quick offer and an early ask for your bank details or a photo of your ID. The mismatch between the name and the domain is the giveaway, a hallmark of recruiter impersonation.

What to do

If the domain does not match the real company, do not reply with personal details. Verify the recruiter through the company directly, as in how to verify a recruiter, and report a fake to the FTC. On a phone, tap the sender's name to reveal the full address, since email apps hide it behind the display name by default and that is exactly what a scammer counts on. To check an address fast, paste the message into the free checker.