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Fake job advert guide

How to spot a fake job advert in Sri Lanka

A fake job advert, or job scam, wants your money or your documents and gives you nothing back. This guide lists the warning signs, shows how to check an employer, and says what to do when an advert looks wrong. It is general help, not legal advice.

Updated · 6 min read

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Warning signs of a fake job advert

One sign on its own can have an innocent reason. Several together are a reason to stop and check before you reply.

  • It asks you to pay. A fee, a deposit or a “registration” payment to apply, to train or to get the job. A genuine employer pays you. It does not ask you for money.
  • It wants your NIC copy or bank details before any interview. These can be used to take over your identity or empty your account. A genuine employer does not need them before it has met you.
  • It gives only a WhatsApp number and no company name. If you cannot tell who the employer is, you cannot check them.
  • The pay is far above the usual, for no experience. Pay that sounds too good makes people hurry. Compare it with similar adverts for the same work.
  • It offers easy work from home, such as typing, data entry or packing parcels. Ask who pays you, and for what. A genuine employer pays you for the work. It does not sell you a kit or a course.
  • It offers a job abroad through an agent you cannot check. Some offers like this ask for money for a visa, a ticket or a medical test. Check the agency first, as shown below.
  • It pushes you to decide today. Pressure stops you from checking. A genuine employer gives you time to read the details and ask questions.
  • It uses a real company’s name, but the details do not match. Anyone can copy a company’s name. Check that the email address, the phone number and the address match the company’s own website.

The one exception to the first sign is a government examination fee. You pay it only as the Gazette notice says.

How to check an advert

Take a few minutes to check before you send your CV. Always check before you pay or send any document.

  1. Find the company yourself.

    Search for its name, find its own website and phone number, and call to ask if the vacancy is real. Do not rely only on the number or the link in the advert.

  2. Ask for the details in writing.

    Ask for the company name and address, the job title, the pay and who you would report to. A real employer can answer.

  3. Look at the email address.

    Does it end with the company’s own website address? Some small genuine employers use a free email address, so if it does not match, check another way as well.

  4. Pay nothing and send nothing private yet.

    Send only your CV. Keep your NIC copy and bank details until you have checked the employer and had an interview.

Jobs abroad: check the agency

Before you pay or hand over any document for a job abroad, check the agency on the official list of licensed foreign employment agencies. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment publishes it. You can search it by the agency’s name or its licence number.

A licence lasts for a limited time, so a paper the agent shows you may be out of date. Look the agency up yourself. If it is not on the list, do not go ahead.

Work from home jobs: how to tell a genuine one

Genuine work from home jobs exist, for women and men, for students and for school leavers. A genuine one names the employer, says what the work is and how you are paid, and asks you to pay nothing to start.

If a job asks you to buy a kit, pay for training or leave a deposit first, treat it as a warning sign. A genuine employer never asks you for money for training or a deposit.

If you have already paid or sent documents

  1. Stop replying.

    Do not send more money or more documents, whatever reason you are given.

  2. Keep the evidence.

    Save the messages, the receipts and screenshots of the advert.

  3. Tell your bank.

    If you sent money, or shared your bank details or NIC copy, tell your bank at once and watch your accounts.

What BetterJobs.lk does about fake adverts

Every advert is checked before it goes live. Every job shows when it was posted, and an advert that has closed leaves the job lists.

Every job page has a Report this job link. Say what is wrong, then confirm your email address with the link we send you. We review reports about fake jobs first.

No check is perfect. Use the steps in this guide for every advert, ours too.

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