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Fake job offer asking for a registration or training fee

If a job offer asks you to pay first, for registration, training, a laptop, document checks or a refundable security deposit, treat it as fake. India Post, several ministries and large employers such as the Tata group say publicly that they never take money from candidates. Find the vacancy on the employer's official website, contact them through details you find yourself, and never pay to be hired.
A printed curriculum vitae with a pen on a wooden desk, beside a glass of water
Photo: 5138153 on Pixabay

Before you accept a job offer

Tap each one as you check it.

How fake job offers work

The offer arrives by WhatsApp, email or a job site, often after a short chat or no interview at all. It comes with an offer letter or selection order carrying a real company's or department's name, logo and a copied signature.

Then comes the fee: registration, training, a company laptop, background verification, a uniform or a “refundable” deposit. After you pay, there is another fee, or the number stops replying.

What the messages look like

Example. Names and numbers are made up.

Real employers do not charge you

  • India Post says it does not ask for or accept money in any form from job seekers as a pre-employment requirement, and recruits through exams.
  • The Ministry of Rural Development says it charges no fee at any stage of recruitment and does not ask applicants for bank details.
  • In May 2026, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs warned of a fake recruiter using its name to take money from applicants, and told job seekers not to pay.
  • The Tata group says fraudsters use its companies' names to ask for processing fees, and that it does not take any amount or deposit from job seekers.

Signs of a fake offer

  • Any fee to register, train or join
  • Selection without a real interview
  • Contact only on WhatsApp or a personal email
  • Pressure to pay today to keep your seat
  • Payment to a personal UPI ID

Signs of a real offer

  • No payment at any stage
  • The vacancy is on the employer's official website
  • Interviews with people you can verify
  • Email from the company's own domain
  • Time to read the offer and ask questions

How to check an offer

Search for the vacancy on the employer's own careers page, not through the link you were sent. Call or email the company using contact details from its official website and ask if the offer is real.

For a job abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs says you can check whether a recruiting agent is registered on the eMigrate portal and confirm the offer with the foreign employer. The Overseas Workers Resource Centre helpline is 1800 11 3090.

If it already happened

  1. Stop paying, even if they say the next fee is the last or will be refunded.
  2. Call your bank on the number in its app or on your card and report the payment as fraud.
  3. Keep the offer letter, emails, chat, phone numbers and payment receipts.
  4. Tell the real company or department whose name was used, through its official website.
  5. If you sent Aadhaar, PAN or bank details, read is it safe to share Aadhaar.
  • Call 1930The national cyber fraud helpline. Call within hours if money left your account.
  • cybercrime.gov.inFile a complaint online and keep the acknowledgement number.
  • Chakshu on Sanchar SaathiReport a fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp number.

Questions

Do companies charge a fee for joining?
Genuine employers do not charge you to be hired. Employers such as the Tata group and India Post say publicly that they take no money from candidates.
Is a refundable security deposit for a laptop normal?
No. A deposit before you join is one of the most common fees in fake offers, and it is not refunded.
How can I check if an offer letter is genuine?
Find the vacancy on the employer's own website and contact the company through details listed there. Do not use the phone number or email in the letter.
What about government job offers on WhatsApp?
Government recruitment is announced on official websites and filled through set processes such as exams. Ministries have warned about fake recruiters using their names to collect fees.

Realr does not check job offers, but you can ask a recruiter to prove who they are with a Realr check before you send documents or money.

Ask them to verify

Sources

Checked against the sources above on 17 October 2026. By Manav Sharma, Marketing Team, Realr. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Ask them to prove who they are, before you pay or meet.

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