Unexpected job offers on WhatsApp and by phone
Check the employer, the role and the requested action before sharing information or paying to start work.
Slow the conversation down
An unsolicited message or automated call may claim a recruiter has found your CV or offer easy work. Ofcom has warned about job-offer calls designed to draw people into further contact. Moving a conversation to WhatsApp does not make the employer or role genuine.
Ask yourself what information you actually have: the legal employer, a specific vacancy, the source of the contact and a normal recruitment process. A display name, logo or friendly profile picture is not an independent reference.
Check outside the chat
Find the employer’s own website independently and look for the vacancy or a recruitment contact. Use that route to ask whether the approach is genuine. Do not rely only on links or documents supplied by the person making the offer.
If they claim to represent an agency, check the agency separately. A real organisation can be impersonated, so confirming that a company exists is only the first step.
Examine the next step
Be cautious if the next action is to pay a fee, buy equipment from a particular person, transfer money, provide identity documents immediately or complete unexplained financial tasks. Do not send money simply to unlock supposed earnings.
Legitimate recruitment can involve checks and paperwork, but you should understand who is receiving the information and why before supplying it. Use a verified channel and share only what is needed at that stage.
If you have already engaged
Stop sending money or information while you verify the situation. Preserve the account name, conversation, dates and payment references privately. Use the platform’s reporting and blocking tools as appropriate, and contact your bank promptly if payments or financial access are involved.
A community report can describe the unsolicited approach and claimed employer, but should not expose your CV, identity documents or another person’s private details.
Keep an independent record
Track the jobs you actually apply for and where you submitted your details. That record can help you distinguish a plausible follow-up from an unexpected approach, while still checking each contact on its merits.
Sources & further reading
For a situation involving money already sent, contact your bank promptly using contact details you trust.
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