Hey everyone, Alexey is here, and today we’re diving into how to spot a fake business before applying for a job. A friend of mine recently came across a company while looking for an event assistant job. At first glance, things seemed fine, but she noticed something odd—there were no employees listed on the company’s LinkedIn page.
That got me curious, so I decided to dig deeper. What I found was a textbook example of a fake company running job scams to collect resumes and possibly even personal information. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I investigated this company and how you can protect yourself from similar scams.
🚨 First Red Flag: No Real People on LinkedIn
One of the first places I checked was LinkedIn. The company claimed to have 11-50 employees, but zero actual employees were associated with it.
🔹 400+ followers – But no real engagement.
🔹 No posts – A legit company should have some updates.
🔹 Lots of job postings – Across different cities and industries.
This is suspicious because a company that size should at least have a few real employees connected to it. When a company has no actual people but tons of job listings, it’s a major red flag.
🔍 Second Red Flag: No Online Presence
Next, I did a Google search for the company. If they were real, you’d expect to find:
✔ Their website
✔ Google My Business listing
✔ Reviews, news, or mentions on job boards
But instead… nothing.
The website didn’t even appear in Google’s search index. That could mean several things:
1️⃣ The site is too new.
2️⃣ The domain has been flagged.
3️⃣ They intentionally blocked search engines.
Regardless of the reason, this is a bad sign. A legitimate business should have some form of organic online presence.
🌍 Third Red Flag: Fake Office Locations
Their website listed multiple office locations. Sounds impressive, right? Well, I took each address and searched them individually.
➡ 101 Marietta St – A co-working space 
➡ 444 Flowers St – Another co-working space
➡ 301 Fillmore St – Yet another shared space
This is a common scam tactic—using virtual or shared workspaces to create the illusion of a bigger company. Having an office in multiple cities doesn’t mean anything if they’re all just rented desks.
🕵️♂️ Fourth Red Flag Suspicious Domain Age
Checking the company’s domain registration (using WhoisXML) revealed that the website was only around 2.5 years old. Now, having a newer domain isn’t necessarily bad, but combined with everything else, it raises concerns.
🚩 No Google My Business listing
🚩 No news, mentions, or reviews
🚩 No history before the domain was purchased
A company that’s been around for years should have some sort of online footprint—but this one had nothing.
📞 Fifth Red Flag: No Real Contact Information
One last thing—no phone number anywhere.
Really? No HR? Oh well!
A real business should have a way to be contacted, even if it’s just a support line. But even if a phone number existed, it’s easy to set up a Google Voice or Twilio number in minutes. So just having a number doesn’t mean it’s legit.
Why do scammers set up fake businesses like this?
🔸 They collect resumes – This gives them personal details (name, email, phone, even work history).
🔸 They may sell your info – Your resume could be sold to marketing firms or even identity thieves.
🔸 They might phish for banking details – Some scams will “hire” you, then ask for your direct deposit info for payroll—but instead, they take your money.
This is dangerous and happens more often than you think.
Always verify a company before sending personal details!
🛑 How to Protect Yourself Be Smart when Applying for Jobs Check Smart - Not Hard ?
✅ Check LinkedIn – Are there actual employees listed?
✅ Google the company – Do they have reviews, mentions, or history?
✅ Verify addresses – Look up their locations—are they real offices or just shared spaces?
✅ Check domain history – How long has their website been active?
✅ Look for contact info – Is there a real phone number? Do they respond?
If multiple red flags show up—DO NOT APPLY.
Stay Smart Safe Informed !!!
Scammers are getting better at making fake companies look real. But if you follow these steps, you’ll be able to spot the warning signs before you waste your time or give away sensitive information.
⚠ Rule #1: Never trust blindly. Always verify.
⚠ Rule #2: If it feels off, it probably is.
I’ll keep making videos and posts like this to keep you safe from job scams.
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