How to apply safely and avoid recruitment scams
Fake vacancies exist everywhere, online and offline. A few checks take a few minutes and protect your money and your personal details.
Published · Updated . Written by the UPNEXT Careers team.
Warning signs
- You are asked to pay anything to apply, to be interviewed, to start work or for training, a uniform, a visa or a “processing” fee.
- You are asked for banking details, card numbers, PINs or one-time codes before you have a confirmed job.
- The contact is a personal e-mail address or a messaging account, but the organisation's own website shows different contact details.
- The message pressures you to act today, or promises a pay far above what the role normally offers.
- The role, the employer or the location is vague, and the organisation cannot be found on its own website.
- The details differ from what the organisation itself publishes.
Checks to make before you apply
- Look at the verification label. A listing that is not verified has not been checked by UPNEXT, so check it yourself.
- Open the organisation's own website by typing its address yourself, not by following a link in a message, and look for the same vacancy there.
- Compare the contact details and the way to apply with the ones on the organisation's own website.
- Apply only through the channel the issuer states. UPNEXT does not receive applications.
- Send only what the application needs. Keep copies of what you send and of the replies.
If something looks wrong
Every listing has a Report this opportunity link. A report is read by staff; it does not remove a listing by itself. You can also write to us on the contact page.
If you have already paid or shared bank or identity details, tell your bank or mobile-money provider straight away and consider reporting it to the police.
What UPNEXT does about it
Every listing carries a label that shows what was checked. How listings are checked explains the review and what a label does not mean.