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Case file · Fake recruiters

Got a job offer? Check the recruiter is real, before you send your CV.

Hunch reads the whole message, not just the links, so it can flag a fake recruiter even when there's no link to click.

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How to tell if a recruiter is real: 5 fast checks

To tell if a recruiter is real, check the email domain against the company's real one, confirm a named recruiter exists on the real LinkedIn, and be wary of any push to WhatsApp, a form, or an attachment before a real conversation. These five checks help you spot a fake recruiter, even when there's no link.

  1. Check the domain. Real companies email you from their real domain (gm.com), not a look-alike someone registered (generalmotorstalentsource.example).
  2. Look for a named person. A real recruiter has a name you can find on the company's real LinkedIn, not a generic "Global Talent Acquisition" signature.
  3. Notice the channel jump. Genuine recruiting rarely moves you to WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal from a cold message. Scammers do, to leave the platform's safety behind.
  4. Watch for a form or attachment first. Being asked to fill a form or open a "job details" file before any real conversation is a data-harvest, or malware, tell.
  5. Be wary of too-good, too-senior. A big remote role or leadership title offered cold, to someone who never applied, is a classic bait.

The tell most fake recruiters share: the domain

Real companies write from their real domain. Scammers register a look-alike that reads right at a glance. Two, pulled from the case files below:

Impersonating General Motors

Real: gm.com

generalmotorstalentsource.examplenot GM's real domain, the brand name is baked into a domain someone else registered

See the full General Motors breakdown →

Impersonating OpenAI

Real: openai.com

openaiworknow.examplenot OpenAI's real domain, a look-alike registered to sound official

See the full OpenAI breakdown →

The case files: real fake-recruiter messages, annotated

Evidence tier: real-masked. Based on real reported messages; names, addresses, personal details and identifying domains have been masked.

Is the General Motors recruiter email real?

Exhibit A · Impersonating General Motors
Received via · EmailNo link · reply-only
From: GM Careers <hr@generalmotorstalentsource.example> not GM's real domain (gm.com) Dear [your name] … your experience in marketing analytics caught our attention. General Motors is looking to connect with professionals for a Marketing Science Partner opportunity … reply if you'd be open to a brief conversation. Global Talent Acquisition, General Motors

What doesn't add up

  • Sent from generalmotorstalentsource.example, not the real gm.com. The brand name is baked into a look-alike domain someone registered.
  • No named recruiter, a generic "Global Talent Acquisition" signature.
  • A compensation "package" is dangled but never actually stated.
  • It has no link, so a link-only checker sees nothing; the sender domain is the tell.

Full General Motors breakdown →

Is the OpenAI recruiter message real?

Exhibit B · Impersonating OpenAI
Received via · EmailNo link · reply-only
From: OpenAI Career <network@openaiworknow.example> not OpenAI's real domain (openai.com) Dear [your name], We are reaching out about a significant leadership opportunity at OpenAI for the position of Head of Performance … please reply directly to this email. OpenAI Recruiting Team

What doesn't add up

  • Sent from openaiworknow.example, not openai.com.
  • Offers an implausibly senior role ("Head of Performance") to a stranger, cold.
  • Pages of generic corporate filler to feel legitimate.
  • No named recruiter and no link; a link-only checker sees nothing, so the sender domain and wording are the tell.

Full OpenAI breakdown →

Is a Sea Group LinkedIn recruiter with a form and attachment real?

Exhibit C · Impersonating Sea Group
Received via · LinkedIn DMShort link + attachment
Reply link: lnkd.in/••••• short link, really opens a Google Sites page and a Google Form, not a Sea Group domain Hi, my name is [recruiter] from the HR team at Sea Group … please complete the form here: [short link] … kindly review the attached document for full project details. An online meeting will be arranged afterward.

What doesn't add up

  • The sender's LinkedIn headline doesn't match the employer they claim to represent.
  • A short link hides where it really goes, a Google-Sites "careers page" and a Google Form.
  • Form-first contact: fill the form before any real conversation.
  • Asks you to download an attachment, with a meeting promised only after, a classic data-harvest sequence. Don't open it until the recruiter is verified.

How the Google-Form recruiter template works →

Questions people ask about recruiter scams

How can I tell if a recruiter is real?

Check the email domain against the company's real one, confirm the recruiter is a named person you can find on the company's real LinkedIn, and be cautious of any message that pushes you to WhatsApp, a form, or an attachment before a real conversation. Because fake recruiters often use look-alike domains and sometimes no link at all, paste the whole message into a checker that reads the sender and wording, not just links.

Is a recruiter email from a look-alike domain a scam?

A real company recruits from its real domain (for example gm.com or openai.com). A domain that bakes the brand name into something else, like generalmotorstalentsource.example or openaiworknow.example, was registered by someone else. Before replying, check the company's official careers page to confirm where their recruiters write from.

Why would a recruiter want to move to WhatsApp or Telegram?

Genuine recruiting almost never moves you to WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal from a cold first message. Scammers do it to get you off a platform that could flag or ban them, and onto a channel where they control the conversation.

A recruiter asked for my ID, passport or bank details before an interview, is that normal?

Legitimate employers collect ID and bank details after you are hired, through an official HR system, not as a condition of a first interview. If documents or payment details are requested up front, pause and verify the employer through their official site before sending anything.

Can a job offer be a scam if there's no link to click?

Many fake-recruiter messages contain no link at all; the hook is "reply to continue". With no link, a link-only checker sees nothing, so the sender address and the wording are the tell. Paste the whole message into a checker that reads those.

Does Hunch store the message I paste?

The check runs on your device in your browser; the message is not uploaded and is not stored. Hunch advises you and does not keep your text.

Related, from the case library