A recruiter wants payment or an equipment cheque: stop and verify

Which requests deserve a pause?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describes recruitment scams that sell a promised job, send a cheque and ask you to return part of the money, or recruit people to repackage and reship goods. A bank making cheque funds available does not establish that the cheque is genuine; the cheque can later bounce, and the bank may seek repayment of the full amount. An apparent recruiter using a familiar company name still needs verification. If an offer asks you to pay for training, certification, a starter kit, or a job guarantee, or to deposit a cheque and send money elsewhere, pause before proceeding.

Verify outside the message thread

Find the employer’s contact details independently—for example, through the official website or a verified phone number—and ask whether the role, the recruiter, and any payment instructions belong to that employer. Compare the sender’s full email address, the role number, and the interview history with the employer’s response. Keep the job advert and all messages together; a logo or a convincing video call alone is not an identity check. If the employer says it never posted the role or never asks for payment, treat that as a strong warning sign.

If money or information has already gone

Contact the payment provider promptly—whether you paid by credit card, debit card, mobile payment app, wire transfer, gift card, cash reload card, or cryptocurrency—describe the transaction as suspected recruitment fraud, and ask what recovery options remain. Record the time of the call and any reference number. If you shared identity information, ask the relevant official identity-protection service about the next step. Do not pay another person who promises guaranteed recovery; that can be a further scam. You can also report the fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

A practical verification record

Write down the employer’s name, the role offered, the request made, the recipient account, and how you independently checked those details. Mark any unanswered points before deciding whether to continue. This is a preparation record to help you organise your thoughts; it is not a finding that a named business committed fraud. Avoid publishing account details or identity documents publicly.

Hypothetical illustration: cheque funds are available

Suppose you apply for a virtual assistant job advertised online. The recruiter sends you a cheque for $2,000, says it covers your first week’s pay plus equipment costs, and asks you to deposit it and wire $1,500 to a supplier. Your bank shows the funds as available. Before you send the wire, you independently call the company’s HR department using the number on its official website. The HR representative says the company never posted that role and never asks candidates to forward money. Would you still send the $1,500? The correct answer is no—this matches the fake-cheque pattern described by the FTC.

Next steps if the issue remains unresolved

If you have followed the verification steps and still cannot confirm whether the offer is genuine, do not send money or personal information. Keep the advert, messages, and any payment records. You may report the suspected scam to the FTC and to your state attorney general. If you need to discuss the situation with someone you trust, describe the offer and the verification results. If you have already lost money, contact the payment provider and ask about reversal options, and consider contacting an identity-protection service if you shared sensitive information.

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