How to spot recruitment scams and protect yourself

Scammers offer fake jobs for job seekers or alleged projects for self-employed consultants or pose as recruitment agencies to obtain your personal and/or financial information or to receive a payment from you.

An employment or project-based fraud happens when a fraudster claims to be a project or recruitment agent and wants to hire you for a job or offers you a project-based opportunity that does not exist. Unfortunately, these scams and phishing in the recruitment sector are increasing, and we are aware that scammers are unlawfully using the Robert Half name and/or logo for this purpose.

Whilst job scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the best way to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of a scam is to educate yourself on things to look out for during your job or project search.

We have set out our top tips to help you spot a potential job scam.

You are asked for money, an "administration fee", "security fee" or an "accreditation fee". Robert Half will never ask you, as a jobseeker or self-employed consultant, to pay any type of fee, transfer cash or provide credit card information in order to receive a job or project offer.

Poor spelling or grammar in communications.

The job description is vague or poorly written.

Communications are from generic addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail accounts. Robert Half communicates only via the following e-mail addresses: name.surname@roberthalf.ch, name.surname@roberthalf.com, name.surname@roberthalf.net (or country equivalents)

You will be contacted via an instant messaging service, such as WhatsApp or Telegram. Robert Half will not contact you via such messaging services on the first approach.

You are asked for unnecessary personal information before submitting your application.

You are asked to click unsolicited links or attachments.

You are offered a job offer immediately or without an interview.

You are instantly offered a high, possibly unrealistic salary.

Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you are unsure if a Robert Half advertisement or communication is legitimate and/or you have been requested to attend an in person meeting, please contact your local Robert Half branch or email reactionsch@roberthalf.net who will assist you as far as possible to verify the information you have received.

Robert Half email addresses take the format of name.surname@roberthalf.ch, name.surname@roberthalf.com, name.surname@roberthalf.net (or country equivalents). If you are contacted by someone whose email address varies from this format, please do not respond.

Please click on the drop-down menu in the footer below to see the list of countries Robert Half operates in.

Take a screen grab or note of the fraudster’s details and report them to Action Fraud (see Resources below).

If you have given them any money, contact your bank immediately and let them know.

Warn the operators of the website/social media site through which you were contacted and let them know that their site is being used by fraudsters.

Use the reporting channels within the platform through which you were contacted to report spam or fraud.

NCSC National Cyber Security Centre • Reporting form • Information for individuales • Information about phishing, vishing and smishing

List of recognised anti-cybercrime services according to Art. 15 para. 3 OID (CC 784.104.2)