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Updated May 10, 2026Reviewed by OfferGuard AI research and review deskOffer verification guide
A practical, step-by-step guide to reviewing a suspicious offer letter, internship message, or recruiter conversation before paying money or sharing documents.
Sender checks
Payment checks
Clause checks
Manual verification steps
Use before
Paying, signing, or sharing identity documents
Recommended evidence
Full recruiter thread, offer letter, and any payment screenshot
Support
support@devtoolstack.in
Step 1: Verify the sender before reading the promise
Many scams expose themselves before you even study the offer letter. Start with the sender address, the reply-to address, the company website, and the interview trail. A polished letter from the wrong sender is still a bad sign.
- +Check whether the sender uses an official company domain
- +Look for a public careers page that matches the role and recruiter identity
- +Be cautious if the only contact channel is WhatsApp or Telegram
- +Pause if you were selected without a real interview or assessment
Step 2: Read the offer for payment pressure and urgency
A strong scam signal is any request to pay before onboarding is complete. The wording may mention registration fees, refundable deposits, training charges, hardware fees, background-check fees, or urgent joining confirmations.
The exact label matters less than the pattern: money is being requested before trust is established.
Step 3: Check clauses, bonds, and document requests
Risk is not only about payment. Some suspicious offers pressure the candidate with vague penalty clauses, forced bond terms, unusually broad document requests, or deadlines that block time for independent verification.
- +Review penalty or bond language line by line
- +Check whether the joining date and contract terms feel rushed
- +Do not send Aadhaar, PAN, OTPs, or bank details too early
- +Ask why each requested document is needed before onboarding
Step 4: Verify the company through public official channels
If a result looks mixed, use official contact points rather than numbers or links shared by the recruiter alone. The safest next step is to contact the employer through a public website, a verified careers page, or a known office contact.
- +Call or email using publicly listed company details
- +Cross-check the recruiter on the company site or LinkedIn
- +Ask for the offer to be resent from an official company domain
- +Refuse to move forward until the payment request is independently validated
Step 5: Use the scanner with complete evidence
The tool is strongest when it sees the full context. Paste the recruiter thread, upload the complete offer letter, and include screenshots that show fee requests, joining pressure, or suspicious clauses.
Treat the scanner result as a checklist that makes the next manual decision easier, not as a replacement for official verification.
FAQ
Common questions
What should I verify before signing an offer letter?
Verify the sender domain, company identity, interview trail, payment requests, and any penalty or bond clause before signing.
What if the recruiter asks me to pay before joining?
Pause immediately and verify the request through official public company channels before sending any money.
What should I upload into OfferGuard AI?
Upload the full offer letter, recruiter thread, and any payment or onboarding screenshots that show the exact wording.
Related guides
Keep verifying with the right next page
Recruiter asking money before joining
Understand why fee requests before onboarding usually deserve strong caution.
How to verify a recruiter email domain
Use sender and reply-path checks before trusting the recruiter.
Fake offer letter examples
Compare common scam patterns against the offer in front of you.
How verdicts work
Read how the scanner interprets payment, identity, and clause risk.
Next step
Use the guide, then verify the exact evidence
These pages are designed to answer the search query directly and help users think clearly before they act. When you have the actual message, PDF, screenshot, or offer letter in hand, run the scanner and compare the result against the guidance above.
Why this page exists
We use public trust pages, visible review ownership, and related-topic links so users can verify the product itself, not just the suspicious offer they uploaded.
Publisher: DevToolStack
Support: support@devtoolstack.in
Operating region: India