How to spot a fake job interview on a video call
A job interview is fake if it asks you for money, bank details or ID documents before a written offer, or if it happens only on a chat app with someone you cannot verify. Real companies do not charge you to interview or to start.
Check the company and the person before the call. It takes five minutes.
Warning signs
- You are asked to pay for training, equipment, a visa or a background check.
- The interview happens only by text on a chat app, or the camera stays off on their side.
- The offer comes within minutes, with no real questions about your experience.
- The email comes from a free email address instead of the company's own domain.
- You are asked for your bank login, card number or one time password.
- The salary is far higher than the role usually pays, for very little work.
- You are told to keep the offer secret or to decide today.
How to check in five minutes
- Find the company's own website by searching for it, not by clicking the link you were sent.
- Check that the role appears on the careers page of that website.
- Look up the person who contacted you on LinkedIn, and check that they work there.
- Call or email the company using contact details from its own website and ask if the interview is real.
What real interviews look like
| Real | Fake |
|---|---|
| Invite from a company email or a known hiring system | Message from a personal number or free email |
| Questions about your experience and examples | Little or no questions, instant offer |
| Written offer before any documents are collected | ID and bank details asked for on the first call |
| No money asked from you, ever | A fee for training, equipment or a visa |
An AI interview from a real company is normal and safe. It asks about your experience and never asks for money, passwords or bank details.
If you already shared details
- Call your bank at once if you shared card or bank details, and block the card.
- Change any password you shared, and turn on two step login.
- Report the message to the platform where it reached you, and to your national cybercrime service.
- Keep screenshots of the messages and payment receipts.
Prepare for the real ones
On Just One Interview, you type the role and the skills you want tested, and an AI interviewer asks you the questions out loud. You get a report with a score for each answer and a count of your filler words. It runs in the browser on your phone, and the free plan includes 20 minutes of practice a month. For what a genuine first round covers, read what is a screening interview.