Source: https://deftridge.com/guides/stay-safe-from-recruiting-scams/ Title: Stay safe from recruiting scams | Deftridge Summary: Real recruiters never ask for money. How to tell the difference. Written by Nina Castellanos, Head of Trust and Safety. Free for professionals. Safety · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Stay safe from recruiting scams Real recruiters never ask for money. How to tell the difference. By [Nina Castellanos](https://deftridge.com/team/nina-castellanos/), Head of Trust and Safety · Edited by [Helena Voss](https://deftridge.com/team/helena-voss/) · Published 1 November 2026 ## Signs of a scam - A request to pay a fee, buy software or send gift cards. - A sender on a free e-mail address pretending to be a company. - Pressure to answer within hours. - A job with no rate, or a rate far above the market. ## What to do Do not reply, open links or send documents. Paste the sender into our [verify page](https://deftridge.com/verify/) and report it. If you already sent money or ID, contact your bank and local fraud service. ## How to check us Every person who can write to you on behalf of Deftridge is listed on the [team page](https://deftridge.com/team/) with an @deftridge.com address. You can paste any sender address into [Verify a sender](https://deftridge.com/verify/); if it is not on the list, it is not us. Our recruiters never ask for a fee, a deposit, equipment purchases, gift cards or bank logins, and never move the conversation to a messaging app before you have agreed to it in writing. ## Keep reading - [Check your contract before you take side work Four clauses decide whether side work is allowed, and how to read them.](https://deftridge.com/guides/check-your-contract-before-side-work/) - [How to price a task Start from the market wage, add the contractor premium and decide your floor.](https://deftridge.com/guides/how-to-price-a-task/) - [How to read a task brief Eight lines to check in a task brief before you say yes: outcome, load, tools, scope and acceptance.](https://deftridge.com/guides/how-to-read-a-task-brief/) - [Side income and tax: the basics What contractors in the US and UK usually have to think about. General information, not tax advice.](https://deftridge.com/guides/side-income-and-tax-basics/)