The job offer with a link to sign in

• A: A sign-in page reached from an unexpected message can be a copy built to capture your password. A job offer does not make the link safe.
• B: An attachment from a sender you have not verified can install malware. Opening it gives the sender what they want before you know who they are.
• C: The sender cannot confirm their own link. Any reassurance comes from the same unverified source.
• D — recommended: Check through a route you find yourself. A real employer will still have the role, or a way to reach the recruiter, there.

1. A job offered without an interview or any checking of you needs checking itself.
2. The link asks for your email password, which no employer needs.
3. An unexpected attachment can carry malware.
4. Card details are requested before you have verified the employer.
5. The short deadline discourages time to check.

The FTC explains how phishing messages use links and attachments to steal passwords and account details, and how to check a message through a source you trust. FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams

The source documents the technique, not this invented example.

Version 1 · content last reviewed 21 October 2026

Have a message of your own? The message checker looks for specific warning patterns. It cannot confirm who sent it or whether a request is genuine.