A recruiter is asking me to pay. Is that normal?
No. Genuine employers pay you, not the other way around. Any request for a registration fee, a deposit, training charges or a laptop payment is a scam, whatever paperwork is attached.
Common wordings used by scammers
- A small refundable registration or processing fee
- A security deposit that comes back with your first salary
- Training or certification charges before you start
- A payment for a laptop or a kit that will be reimbursed
- A fee to have your resume shortlisted or forwarded
- A charge for a background check or medical test
What to do
- Refuse and stop
Do not pay any amount, however small, and however it is explained.
- Keep the evidence
Screenshot the message, the account details and the profile before you block anyone.
- Report it
Use Report post and choose Fake job or fraud if it is on the feed, then send the details to support.
- If you paid, act today
Call your bank and ask them to stop or reverse the transfer, and report it locally.
Related questions
They sent an offer letter on company letterhead.
Letterheads are trivial to fake. The request for money is the signal, not the paperwork around it.
They said the fee is refundable.
Refundable is the most common version of this scam. The money is never returned.
Can GoodSpace get my money back?
No. GoodSpace was not part of the payment. Your bank is the only route, which is why speed matters.
