Top tips to avoid scams

 

Top tips to recognise legitimate recruiter emails and avoid phishing scams

There’s been a recent increase in email and WhatsApp phishing scams targeting recruitment companies, where people are being contacted by scammers posing as recruiters.

We would never want our candidates to fall victim to these spoof scams that are using our name.

Here are our top tips to distinguish legit recruiter emails and avoid phishing scams.

Beware of WhatsApp

Our recruiters would not reach out or contact you on WhatsApp as a first point of contact for a new role.

If someone contacts you on WhatsApp claiming to be from Impellam Group or one of our brands, please ignore the message and block the number.

If you believe you may have been a victim of a WhatsApp scam, you can report it to the app by following these steps:

1. Android: open WhatsApp, tap More Options, and head to Settings>Help>Contact Us to submit a scam report.
2. iOS: Open WhatsApp, tap Settings>Help>Contact Us.

Check for official contact information

Genuine recruiters provide their contact information, including a phone number and an official company address. Verify this information by searching for the recruiter or the company online through Google or LinkedIn.

Be wary if you can't find any information or if the contact details are inconsistent with the company's official information.

Verify the sender's identity

Start by checking the sender's email address. Legitimate recruiters usually use corporate email domains (e.g., @impellam.com).

Be cautious if the email comes from a generic or suspicious domain, such as @gmail.com or @yahoo.com. Or if the company name has a spelling mistake in the domain. Scammers sometimes go to the lengths to include a company name but spell it incorrectly such Innpellam instead of Impellam.

Don’t succumb to the pressure of urgent requests

Phishing emails often use urgency or high-pressure tactics to manipulate or trick the recipients. They may claim that you must act immediately to secure a job opportunity. Legit recruiters typically provide a reasonable timeframe for response and encourage you to research the opportunity.

Check the email content

Pay close attention to the email's content as legitimate recruiter emails typically contain personalised information, such as your name and details about the job opportunity.

Be cautious if the email is overly generic, lacks specific details, or contains numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes, as these can be red flags.

Don't click on suspicious links

Be wary of any links or attachments. Hover your mouse over links to see the URL and verify it without actually clicking on them and do not open or download any attachments. Legitimate recruiters may include links to their company website or a job portal however, phishing emails can often contain links to malicious websites or attachments to infiltrate your computer – so make sure you check.