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4 min read · updated 16 October 2026

How to spot a fake internship or job offer (and what to do)

Fake internships and job offers prey on students who are desperate for a first line on their résumé. Most share the same handful of tricks. This guide shows the red flags and a five-minute check.

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The one rule that catches most scams

A real employer never asks you to pay to get a job or internship. Not for registration, training, security, a laptop, a kit, “verification” or a “refundable” deposit. If money has to go out of your account before you start, it is almost certainly a scam.

Common red flags

A five-minute check before you reply

  1. Search the company name with the words “scam”, “fraud” or “reviews”, and search the exact message text.
  2. Open the company’s own website and find the careers page. Does it list this role? Does the email domain match?
  3. Check LinkedIn: a real company page with employees who have been there for a while. Look for the recruiter’s profile, its age and activity.
  4. Check registration: Indian companies are registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (mca.gov.in), which lets you look up basic company master data. A company that says it is registered but isn’t on the list deserves a hard second look.
  5. Ask on a call or video call for the manager’s name, team and what you would work on. Vague answers are a warning.
  6. Ask a senior or your placement cell. They have seen these before.

What a genuine process looks like

If you have already paid or shared documents

  1. Stop all contact and don’t pay anything more, even if they threaten or promise a refund.
  2. Call your bank immediately to report the transaction and ask what can be done.
  3. Report financial fraud quickly on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the helpline 1930. Reporting early gives you a better chance of the money being frozen.
  4. Change passwords and tell your bank if you shared card details, OTPs or banking logins. If you shared Aadhaar or PAN, keep an eye on any misuse and report it.
  5. Keep evidence: screenshots, numbers, emails, payment receipts.
  6. Tell your college so others can be warned.

Use a decoder on the ad

Paste a job ad into our job description decoder. It flags fees, bonds, unpaid roles and pay that depends on targets, and translates vague phrases. It runs in your browser and sends nothing. It is a helper, not proof: a clean result does not guarantee that an employer is genuine.

Common questions

Are all unpaid internships fake?

No. Many genuine internships at startups, NGOs and research groups are unpaid. What matters is whether the work and the company are real and whether you are being asked to pay.

Is it normal to pay for a course before an internship?

If the “internship” is bundled with a paid course, that is training, not an internship. Be clear about what you are buying. A genuine employer does not charge you to hire you.

What if the offer letter looks professional?

Scammers use professional templates. Verify the company and the person independently of the letter.

Can my college help?

Yes. Ask your placement cell whether the company has hired from your college before.

Written by the Shortlists team for students in India. General information, not professional advice. Last updated 16 October 2026.