Overseas job scams and fake offer letters: how to check a job abroad is real

A job abroad can change a family's life, which is exactly why scammers target people looking for one. Fake overseas jobs cost people their savings, their documents and sometimes their safety. The good news is that genuine international hiring follows a recognisable process, and most scams break that process in obvious ways once you know what to look for. This post focuses on the patterns we see most around jobs in the Gulf, Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia, especially for applicants from India and South Asia, but the checks work anywhere.

How overseas job scams usually work

• The fee ladder. You're offered a well-paid job, then asked for a 'registration fee', then a 'visa processing fee', then 'medical' and 'ticket' charges. Each payment unlocks the next request. The visa never arrives.
• The fake offer letter. A professional-looking letter on a real company's logo, sometimes with a fake government stamp, arrives after a short chat interview. It's used to justify fees or collect your passport details.
• The unlicensed agent. A local 'consultant' promises a guaranteed job and visa for a large sum. Some disappear; others send people abroad on visit visas to work illegally, leaving them without protection.
• The bait and switch. The job on paper is an office or skilled role. On arrival, the work, pay or conditions are completely different, and the passport is held by the 'employer'.
• Fake government or embassy contact. Emails or calls claim to be from an immigration department or embassy and demand urgent payment to 'avoid cancellation'.

How to check the employer

1. Find the company's official website yourself, not via a link in the message. Check that the job appears on its careers page, or email the company's official HR address to confirm.
2. Compare email domains. An offer from a real company comes from that company's domain. A free email address, or a domain that's almost the same as the real one, is a red flag.
3. Look up the company in the destination country's official business register, which most countries publish online.
4. Search the exact wording of the offer letter or job ad in quotes. Scammers reuse text, and you may find warnings from others.
5. Expect a real interview with named people whose roles you can verify.

How to check the recruitment agent

Many countries license recruitment agencies that send workers abroad. In India, for example, agents recruiting for certain overseas employment must be registered under the Ministry of External Affairs, and the government's eMigrate portal lists registered recruiting agents and has guidance for workers. Other countries have similar systems. Before paying anyone anything:

• Check the agent's licence on your government's official portal, and that the licence is current.
• Ask for the agent's licence number in writing and compare it with the official record, including the name and address.
• Check your government's official guidance on what, if anything, licensed agents may charge. Payments outside those rules, or without a receipt, are a warning sign.
• Never hand over your original passport to an agent unless you are certain they are licensed and you have a written receipt.

How to check a visa or work permit

Most destination countries let you check visa types, requirements and fees on an official government immigration website, and many let you verify an issued visa or work permit online. Always start from the official site, which usually ends in a government domain. If someone tells you a visa can be 'arranged' quickly without the usual documents or steps, be very careful.

Red flags specific to overseas offers

• A job offer without any interview, or with only a chat on a messaging app.
• Pay far above what the role normally pays in that country. Check real posted ranges on the salary explorer.
• Pressure to pay quickly because 'the visa quota closes today'.
• Being asked to travel on a tourist or visit visa and 'convert it' after arrival.
• No written contract in a language you understand, or a contract you're only shown at the airport.
• Requests for your bank login, OTPs or card details.

If you've already paid or shared documents

1. Stop paying. A 'final' fee to release your visa is part of the scam.
2. Contact your bank immediately to try to block or reverse transfers.
3. Report it. In India, you can report cyber fraud at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the national helpline 1930, and complaints about recruiting agents can be raised through the eMigrate system. Other countries have their own national fraud reporting services.
4. If you shared passport or ID copies, inform the issuing authority and watch for misuse.
5. Keep every message, receipt and document as evidence.
6. Beware of 'recovery agents' who contact you offering to get your money back for a fee.

Safer ways to find work abroad

Apply directly to employers that hire internationally, through their own careers pages. On JobRipe, visa sponsorship jobs are listings where the employer mentions sponsorship, and verified listings link straight to the employer's own application page. Our guide to visa sponsorship jobs explains how to read sponsorship wording and when to ask.