93% Of Indian Job Seekers Encounter Recruitment Scams, Finds Indeed Survey

Mumbai: Trust is a major challenge in India's recruitment ecosystem as job scams become increasingly sophisticated, with more than half of job seekers struggling to distinguish genuine recruiters from fraudsters, according to a new survey by employment platform Indeed.

According to the survey, 50% of respondents considered the ability to verify a recruiter's identity as the strongest indicator of trust, followed closely by communication through an official company email address. The survey also found that Gen Z job seekers and professionals with up to two years of work experience were the most vulnerable to recruitment scams, reflecting the challenges faced by early-career candidates in an increasingly digital hiring landscape.

The survey, based on responses from 1,161 Indian employees and job seekers, found that 93% had encountered suspicious or fraudulent job opportunities, while 51% admitted they were not confident in identifying whether a recruiter was genuine.

While recruitment scams are often associated with financial fraud, the survey found that their most significant impact is on candidate confidence rather than monetary loss. Nearly one-third (31%) of respondents said scam encounters had reduced their trust in recruiters and employers, while 19% reported feeling stressed or anxious during their job search. Another 14% said previous scam experiences had caused them to miss genuine job opportunities due to increased caution. By comparison, only 3% reported suffering financial losses.

The findings point to a growing "trust crisis" in the hiring process, with candidates becoming increasingly cautious about responding to recruiters or applying for jobs they cannot independently verify. This heightened scepticism is making it more difficult for legitimate employers to connect with potential talent.

Rohan Sylvester, Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed said that as hiring becomes more digital, trust has become a key part of the recruitment process. "Candidates want reassurance that an opportunity is legitimate, while employers need to recognise that scams carried out in their name can damage confidence in their brand. Taking proactive steps to verify recruiters, communicate through official channels and tackle fraudulent activity is essential to creating a safer hiring experience," said Sylvester.

To escape job frauds, candidates are now evaluating an employer's credibility much earlier in the recruitment process, often judging the authenticity of a recruiter from the first message or even the job advertisement, the survey said.

"Candidates today are taking extra steps to verify every opportunity they come across, and that's changing the way hiring works. For employers, building trust starts with being transparent and making it easy for candidates to know they're engaging with a genuine opportunity," Sylvester added.

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