How to Check If a Job Offer Letter or Contract Is Fake

A recent college graduate in Florida applied to dozens of jobs online. One company responded within hours with a professional-looking offer letter — a remote data entry position at $35/hour. The letter had a company logo, an HR manager's signature, and official-looking formatting. To complete onboarding, they needed her Social Security number, bank account details for direct deposit, and a copy of her driver's license. She sent everything. There was no job. The scammers used her information to open credit cards in her name and file a fraudulent tax return. The offer letter, when later analyzed, had a logo pulled from Google Images and a digitally pasted signature.

Job offer scams have surged alongside remote work. The FTC reported that employment scams were among the top fraud categories in 2025, with victims losing an average of $2,000 — plus the long-term damage of identity theft. Scammers create convincing offer letters, employment contracts, and company documents using templates, stolen logos, and AI tools. Our AI Image Detector can help you spot the fakes before you hand over sensitive personal information.

How Job Offer Scams Work

The typical flow follows a pattern:

1. You apply to a job on LinkedIn, Indeed, or another job board — or the "company" contacts you first via email or text.
2. The interview is unusually easy: a quick text chat, a brief phone call, or sometimes no interview at all.
3. You receive an offer letter via email, often as an image or PDF with a company letterhead.
4. Onboarding requires personal information: SSN, bank account numbers, driver's license copy, and sometimes payment for "equipment" or "training materials."
5. The job never materializes, and your personal data is used for identity theft.

How to Screenshot Suspicious Documents

When you receive an offer letter or contract that feels off:

1. Open the document in your email or download the attachment.
2. Screenshot the letterhead area — the logo, company name, and header formatting. This is where manipulation is most common.
3. Screenshot the signature block — the name, title, and signature of the person who supposedly signed it.
4. Capture any company seals or stamps that appear on the document.
5. Save each screenshot at full resolution for the best detection accuracy.

How to Upload to the AI Image Detector

Check the document before you share any personal information:

1. Open our AI Image Detector on your phone or computer.
2. Upload the screenshot of the letterhead, logo, or signature area.
3. Wait for the analysis. The detector examines the image for signs of manipulation, pasted elements, and AI generation.
4. Review the results and note any areas flagged for editing or inconsistency.
5. Upload additional screenshots of other suspicious elements.

Signs of a Fake Offer Letter

Logo and Letterhead Red Flags

• Low-resolution logos: Legitimate companies use high-quality vector logos on their documents. Scammers often grab low-res versions from Google Image searches, resulting in pixelated or blurry logos.
• Incorrect logo placement: The logo may be slightly off-center, too large, or in the wrong position compared to the company's actual documents.
• Wrong colors: The logo colors may not match the company's official branding — slightly off shades are common when logos are copied from screenshots.
• Missing or wrong company details: The address, phone number, or website URL in the letterhead may be wrong or missing entirely.

Signature and Formatting Issues

• Digitally pasted signatures: Scammers often copy signatures from other documents and paste them in. The detector can identify resolution differences and edge artifacts around pasted signatures.
• Inconsistent fonts: The document may use multiple fonts that don't match each other, or fonts that the real company doesn't use.
• Alignment and spacing problems: Professional documents have consistent margins, line spacing, and alignment. Fakes often have subtle irregularities.
• Generic language: Phrases like "We are pleased to inform you" followed by vague job descriptions with no specific duties, team names, or reporting structures.

Contact Information Red Flags

• Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook addresses: Real companies use their own domain for email. An offer from "hr.companyname@gmail.com" is almost certainly fake.
• No direct phone number: Legitimate offer letters include a direct line or extension for the HR contact.
• Website that doesn't match: The company's website may not exist, may be newly created, or may look different from the real company's site.

What Legitimate Offer Letters Look Like

For comparison, real offer letters typically include:

• Company letterhead with a crisp, high-resolution logo
• Specific job title and department you'll be joining
• Detailed compensation breakdown — base salary, benefits, equity, bonuses
• Start date and work location (or remote work details)
• Manager's name and the team you'll report to
• Benefits overview with enrollment details
• At-will employment language or contract terms
• A company email domain matching their website

Additional Verification Steps

Beyond our detector, take these steps:

• Look up the company independently. Don't click links in the email — go directly to the company's website and LinkedIn page.
• Call the company's main number (found independently, not from the offer letter) and ask to verify the position.
• Search "[company name] job scam" to see if others have reported similar experiences.
• Never pay for equipment or training upfront. Legitimate employers provide equipment or reimburse you.
• Be skeptical of text-only interviews with no video or in-person component.

Check It With Our AI Image Detector

A real job offer is exciting. A fake one can be devastating — leading to identity theft, financial loss, and months of cleanup. Before you share your Social Security number, bank details, or personal documents with any employer, screenshot the offer letter and upload it to our AI Image Detector. The detector catches manipulated logos, pasted signatures, and other signs of document forgery that are invisible to the naked eye. Verify before you share personal info with any "employer."