Most job scams follow the same pattern: an offer that looks easy, a deadline that feels urgent and a payment to a person rather than a company. Knowing the pattern is the best protection.
Signs that something is wrong
- A guaranteed visa or a guaranteed job, before anyone has seen your documents
- Pressure to pay today, or the offer disappears
- Payment to a personal bank account, a mobile wallet or a crypto address
- No written contract, or a contract from a company you cannot find in any registry
- A recruiter who only writes and never agrees to a video call
- A request to send your original passport by post
Check the company yourself
Ask for the full legal name and registration number, then look it up in the official registry of that country. For a UK company that is Companies House: Worrki Ltd is company no. 17366027. Use the contact details from the registry or the company's own website, not only the ones a recruiter sends you.
Check the job
A real vacancy has an employer, a city, a role and working conditions you can read before you pay anything. Many European employers publish their vacancies on EURES, the EU job portal. If a recruiter cannot tell you who the employer is, ask why.
Check the payment
Pay a company, never a person. You should receive an invoice in the company's name with the service and the amount, and pay by card or by transfer to the company account on that invoice. Keep every invoice and receipt.
Protect your documents
To start, a service needs a scan of your passport, not the original. You give your passport only to the consulate or visa centre when you apply. Never share card PINs, online banking passwords or one-time codes with anyone.
See how Worrki verifies employers and handles payments, or read how to check a job offer before you pay.