Scam watch
Fake recruiters go after people who are job hunting. Vic checks your inbox.
When you are looking for work, every recruiter email feels like good news, and scammers know it. NextChapter looks at recruiter and interview emails in your connected Gmail and emails you within minutes when one looks fake, so you find out before you book the call or enter your details.
Free for candidates. Needs a connected Gmail account.
What it looks at
Who really sent it
Does the sender's domain belong to the company the email says it's from? A recruiter for a real company writes from that company's domain, not from a lookalike or a random one.
Where the links really go
A "book your interview" button can point anywhere. We read the actual destination and compare it to the company, its careers site and the scheduling tools employers commonly use.
What it asks of you
Requests for ID numbers or bank details, anything involving your own money or a check, moving to a chat app, and pressure to act fast are the usual signs of a scam.
What it looks like
An illustrative example, modeled on a real fake-recruiter email. The company and domains below are made up.
The email says: “Interview with Acme Health. Time-sensitive: book your call now.”
- It came from hiring-desk-team.org, which isn't Acme Health's domain.
- The booking link goes to web04-booking.org, also not Acme Health's.
- It pushes you to act quickly.
Vic emails you: “Don't book anything yet. The Acme Health email looks fake.”
How it works
- Step 1
Connect Gmail, read-only
The same connection that tracks your job search. We never send, delete or change anything in your mailbox.
- Step 2
Vic checks new recruiter emails
Every few minutes, new recruiter and interview emails are compared against the signs above.
- Step 3
You hear about it right away
If one looks fake, Vic emails you what she found and what to do, before you book, reply or click.
What it can't do
Scam watch is an early warning, not a guarantee. It can miss a well-made scam, and it can flag a real recruiter, especially one at a staffing firm or writing from a personal address. If you think a flag is wrong, tell us from your dashboard and we use that to improve it.
It only sees mail in the Gmail account you connect. It keeps just the emails it flags (sender, subject and the reasons), never the full message, and you can disconnect Gmail at any time. More on how we handle data is on our security page.
If you ever lose money to a job scam, report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.