There are a lot of advantages to working with the recruiters at Randstad. They can connect you with new opportunities and help you find a new role faster than searching on your own — but one thing they'll never do is try to separate you from your hard-earned money. Unfortunately, some dishonest folks on the internet want you to think otherwise.

In this article, we'll cover what to actually expect when working with a Randstad recruiter — and what to look out for in order to spot recruiting scams in the wild.

we don't ask for banking info during the interviewing process

One of the most common recruiting scams out there goes a little something like this:

Hi job seeker! There's a great opportunity for you in the Industrio-Matic Solutions warehousing and shipping division, but they require you to wear steel-toed boots. We'll wire you $200 to buy your own pair, so we'll need to get your bank account number, routing number and the name on the account.

This opportunity will disappear fast, so don't wait! Send me your info today.

Can you guess where this is going? Not only is there no job available, they're more than likely going to withdraw money from your account — not the other way around.

None of Randstad's recruiters will offer to pay for equipment up front, nor will they ever ask for your bank details. If you do find work through Randstad, our payrolling team will collect your details via a standard W2 or W9, and that's only once you've been placed in a position with a client company.

we'll email you from an official address

It's easy for scammers to create a realistic-looking email address, so always double check where a recruiting email comes from. If it's really coming from a Randstad recruiter, the domain name (that's the part of the email address that comes after the @ symbol) will be RandstadUSA.com, Tatum-us.com, RandstadRisesmart.com, Spherion.com, Monster.com or RandstadSourceright.com.

Look out for realistic-looking fake email addresses like RandstadUS@gmail.com or RandstadJobs@hotmail.com.

Remember, no Randstad recruiter will email you from a personal address like that.

Of course, it’s also easy to “spoof” a sender’s email address, making it look as though it came from a real Randstad email when it actually didn’t. The best way to learn if an email that looks official actually is official is by hitting “reply” and examining the address your reply is heading to. In other words, make sure the address you’re replying to is actually a legitimate Randstad address and not a Gmail or other private address.

we’re always careful with your personal details

If Randstad places you with a client company, we'll collect your personal and direct-deposit information securely. We'll never ask you to share details like your bank account, driver's license, or passport number or home address over the phone or via text or email.

That's because we would never take a risk with your sensitive information. Anyone asking you to share this info via phone, text or email isn't from Randstad — and they aren't going to connect you with a job.

there's never a fee for working with us

Yet another common recruiting scam goes something like:

Hi job seeker! There's an open role at ZeroOneZero Technologies that's perfect for you. We can hold the role open until we get an interview on the books, but we'll need to collect a $250 deposit from you in order to keep the role open. We can only reserve your spot for 24 hours, so send us the full amount right away!

You will never have to pay a fee to interview for or accept a job through Randstad or any of our corporate partners. In fact, we'll never collect a fee from you for any reason. That's just not how our business works. Our recruiters will also never pressure you into accepting a job on short notice or tell you that you only have so many hours or days to consider an offer. We know that accepting a new role is a big decision, and we’ll always encourage you to take the time you need to make the right decision.

when in doubt, reach out

If you're unsure whether a job opportunity is legit, contact your local Randstad branch directly. You can find the nearest branch on our website, so don't hesitate to pick up the phone to connect with one of our staffing experts at 877-601-7453 or email call.center@randstadusa.com and inquire about the opening and the recruiter who contacted you. They'll be happy to tell you if the recruiter is an official Randstad representative or not, and they'll do the same about the opening in question.

Randstad has thousands of open (and totally real) roles, so if you find one that's right for you, don't hesitate to apply. If we think you're a fit, a Randstad recruiter will contact you through official channels — and he or she won't advance you any money, ask for payment up front or inquire about your banking details or other sensitive information.