Fake UK Job Offer? How to Spot a Visa Scam

A fake UK job offer often asks you to pay before you have a job, but the clearest test is official. A genuine sponsor appears on the government’s register of licensed sponsors, and any immigration adviser must be authorised. Check both before you send money or documents.

Last checked 8 November 2026. This article is part of our guide: UK sponsored jobs guide.

Here we cover the warning signs, a checking routine and what to do if you have already paid. For the wider picture, read our UK visa sponsorship jobs guide first. All figures below come from GOV.UK, and the rules described apply to the United Kingdom only.

Warning Signs of a Fake UK Job Offer

Scammers copy the language of real employers, so no single sign proves a scam. Look for a pattern. Two or three of the signs below together should make you stop and check before you reply.

You are asked to pay a fee for the job, a certificate or a sponsorship.
The offer comes with a deadline of hours, not weeks.
The job description is vague about duties, hours and pay.
You never had a proper interview, or it happened only in a chat window.
The sender cannot give you a company name and registration details that you can check yourself.

One benchmark helps. Official fees go to the government, not to a private person. For example, the standard application fee for a stay of up to three years, applied for from outside the UK, is £819 per person, as GOV.UK: how much it costs shows. Anyone asking for a different amount, or asking you to pay them directly, needs a clear explanation.

Money Requests in a Fake UK Job Offer

A genuine employer pays your wages, not the other way round. If someone asks for money to secure a job, a certificate of sponsorship or a visa placement, treat it as the strongest warning sign you will see. Official visa fees appear on GOV.UK, so anything extra from a private person needs a clear reason.

No official source I could check says an agent’s fee is normal. Do not assume it is, and ask for a written breakdown before you pay anything. The fee section below explains how to check an agent.

Pressure to Act on a Fake UK Job Offer

Fake offers often rush you. You may hear that the place will go to someone else tonight, or that you must send your passport copy now. A real employer can wait while you check them, so if pressure is the main message, slow down.

Watch the route too. For example, a manager who offers a job after one message, asks for your passport, then wants a payment and goes quiet, fits the pattern of a fake UK job offer. Do not send more documents until you have confirmed the employer yourself.

Is This Fake UK Job Offer Real? A Quick Eligibility Check

Sponsorship is a real route into UK work, but it works only with a licensed employer and an eligible job. Use these two lists as a rough filter, not a final decision. If any point is unclear, read Skilled Worker visa requirements before you go further.

Two details are easy to check. A certificate of sponsorship must describe a specific job in the UK, and you can apply only up to 3 months before the start date on that certificate. The Skilled Worker visa: Overview page sets out both rules.

Signs Your UK Job Offer Is Genuine, Not Fake

The employer appears on the official register of licensed sponsors.
The job matches a role on the government’s list of eligible occupations.
The offer describes a specific job in the UK, because a certificate of sponsorship must cover one.
No one asks you to pay to be considered.

Signs You Probably Don’t

The company is missing from the sponsor register, or the name only roughly matches.
The offer promises a visa or a guaranteed place.
The role is not on the eligible list, or no job details are given.
You are told to pay a deposit, a processing charge or a fee up front.

Sponsorship alone does not make an offer genuine. The employer needs a licence before it can sponsor anyone, so check that first. Then confirm the job itself, because the eligible occupations list decides whether the visa is possible at all.

UK Job Offer Fees: What Is Normal and What Is a Scam

Government fees are published on GOV.UK, so you can check them yourself. Anything beyond those official costs needs a clear reason. The table below covers the Skilled Worker visa only, and your actual amount depends on your situation, so confirm it on the page before you pay.

Official Government Costs You Pay Directly

Cost	Amount	Applies to	Source
Standard application fee, applying from outside the UK for up to 3 years	£819 per person	Main applicants and dependants applying from outside the UK	GOV.UK: how much it costs
Standard application fee, applying from outside the UK for more than 3 years	£1,618 per person	Applicants staying longer than 3 years	GOV.UK: how much it costs
Standard application fee band	£819 to £1,865	Depends on your circumstances	GOV.UK: how much it costs
Extension or switch from inside the UK, up to 3 years	£943 per person	Applicants already in the UK	GOV.UK: how much it costs
Immigration health surcharge	£1,035 per year	Most Skilled Worker applicants; exemptions are not covered here	GOV.UK: how much it costs
Minimum available funds when you arrive	At least £1,270	Applicants who are not exempt	GOV.UK: how much it costs

Two more points matter. Jobs on the immigration salary list attract a lower application fee, but I could not confirm that amount, so check the GOV.UK page. A partner or child pays for the same length of stay as the main applicant.

Checking an Agent or Adviser

If someone offers immigration help, check whether they are authorised before you share anything. The Immigration Advice Authority says advisers must be regulated, and many people do not realise this.

Search the Adviser Register by name before you pay or send documents.
Ask for the adviser’s registration details and check that they match.
Be wary of anyone who says a visa is guaranteed.

Using the Adviser Register

The Immigration Advice Authority’s free Adviser Register is the tool for checking whether an adviser is authorised. The Adviser Finder can also help you locate a registered adviser. Use both tools yourself, rather than a link or certificate the adviser sends you.

I found no official GOV.UK statement that guarantees a visa, so treat any guarantee as a warning sign. The Immigration Advice Authority’s own advice is to check an adviser before trusting them with a case. That check is the safe test for any promise you hear.

WhatsApp and Facebook Job Offers: Are They Safe?

Messaging apps and social media make it easy for anyone to pose as an employer. I could not find an official page on job offers sent this way, so I cannot say they are banned by rule. A message is never proof of an employer.

A law firm that advises overseas applicants warns that sponsorship offers that sound too good to be true should be treated with suspicion, because illegitimate agents target applicants. That is a background warning, not a government rule, but it matches what you should expect. Read the Visa scammers targeting overseas care workers article for examples.

A first contact that happens only on WhatsApp, Telegram or a social profile is unconfirmed. Ask for a company email, a call with a named manager and the employer’s details. Then check each one yourself.

Fee Requests in a Fake UK Job Offer

If a recruiter asks for a fee before an interview or contract, stop. Do not pay, even if the amount looks small or the reason sounds official. Keep a copy of every message, because you may need it for a report later.

Use a simple rule. If the job is real, the employer can check your details and you can check theirs without paying anything. If the only way forward is a transfer, cash or a card payment, walk away.

Checking a Company Email or Website

Scammers often copy a real company’s name, logo and website. Sometimes the only difference is one changed letter in the email address. Compare every contact with details you find yourself, not details the recruiter sends you.

If you are unsure how to match the name, follow our guide on how to check sponsor licence status before you reply.

Matching Domains and Copied Company Names

The email domain should match the company website exactly, with no extra words or swapped letters.
A free webmail address used for a company job offer is a warning sign.
The company name in the offer should match the name on the official register, word for word.
A website with no address, no registration details and no named staff needs checking.

Confirming the Employer on the Official Register

The government publishes the register of licensed sponsors as a downloadable file on its Register of licensed sponsors: workers page. Search the file for the employer’s exact name and town. If the company is not listed, it cannot issue a certificate of sponsorship under this route, so stop there.

Use the GOV.UK page, not a copy sent by the recruiter. If the employer is listed, still confirm that the job on your offer matches the job described on any certificate you receive.

Steps to Check a Fake UK Job Offer

Use this routine for every offer before you reply with documents or money. Each step takes a few minutes and costs nothing. Use only official GOV.UK pages for the register and the eligible list, and keep your notes in one place.

Step 1: Confirm the Employer

Find the company’s website and phone number yourself through a search engine. Compare them with the details in the offer. Then call the number you found, not the one the recruiter gave you.

Step 2: Confirm the Role

Ask for the occupation code on the offer. The Skilled Worker visa: Overview page explains that the job must be on the government’s list of eligible occupations, so check it against that list. Note any gap, because a vague or mismatched role is a warning sign.

Step 3: Check the Sponsor Licence

Open the official Register of licensed sponsors: workers and search for the exact company name. Write down the date you checked and save a screenshot. If the employer is not listed, do not continue with the offer.

Step 4: Record Every Contact

Save every message, email, call log and document you send or receive. Write down the name, role and phone number of each person you speak to. These records help you prove what happened if you need to report a fake UK job offer.

Mistakes That Get You Refused or Defrauded

Some errors lead to refused applications, and others lead to lost money. Each mistake below has a fix you can use today.

Mistake	Why it matters	Fix
Paying someone for a certificate of sponsorship	No official source I could check says this is normal, and it is a common scam route	Ask the employer for written details, check the register, and stop if the request comes from a private person
Sending forged or edited documents	This can lead to a refusal and lasting problems with future applications	Use only original documents you obtained yourself, and never edit or invent one
Using an unauthorised adviser or agent	Immigration advice must come from an authorised adviser, so unauthorised help puts your money at risk	Search the Adviser Register by name before you pay or share documents
Applying too early or too late	A Skilled Worker application can be made only up to 3 months before the start date on your certificate	Check the start date on the certificate and apply within that window
Skipping the eligible occupation check	The job must be on the eligible list for the visa to be possible	Confirm the role on the eligible list before paying any fee
Replying to unsolicited offers with personal documents	Scammers use passport copies and personal details to target more people	Verify the employer on the official register first, then share documents only through official channels

Any mistake on this list can cost you time, money or your application. Fix the first one you spot, then work through the rest before you reply again.

Paid for a Fake UK Job Offer? What to Do Next

Act quickly, but do not panic. Stop all contact and make no more transfers, even if the person says the money is needed to release your visa. Then save your evidence, contact your bank or payment provider, and report the loss to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Gather Evidence From a Fake UK Job Offer

Collect everything in one folder: messages, emails, receipts, transfer records, profile names and phone numbers. Note the dates and amounts. Screenshots help, but keep the original files too.

Write a short timeline of how the offer started and who contacted you.
List every payment with its date, amount and recipient details.
Save the full chat history and any profile links.

Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider

Tell your bank or payment provider as soon as you can, and ask about their fraud process. I could not confirm official bank refund rules or timescales from GOV.UK, so ask your provider directly what they can do and how long it takes.

Be careful of recovery services. Anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee is likely to be another scammer. Do not pay them.

Reporting a Fake UK Job Offer: Who to Contact

Report every fake offer, even if you did not pay anything. Your report helps the police spot patterns. You can report while you also contact your bank.

Report Fraud in the UK

Visa and immigration scams, including job offers that involve a visa, go to Report Fraud. It replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025, so older guides naming Action Fraud are out of date. Report online at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Include names, email addresses, phone numbers, websites, payment details and copies of messages. The Report visa and immigration scams page sets out what to include. Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so if you live in Scotland, search for the police reporting route there first.

Reporting From Your Own Country

This article covers UK rules only. If you live outside the UK, the reporting routes in your own country may differ. Search for your national police fraud reporting page and keep the same evidence folder. If the employer claims to be UK-based, report to the UK route as well.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a UK job offer is fake?

Check the employer on the official register of licensed sponsors, which the government publishes as a downloadable file. Confirm the job is on the eligible occupations list, and never pay a fee to be considered. I could not open an official list of job-offer warning signs, so these checks are the reliable tests you can run today.

Is it normal to pay an agent for a UK work visa?

No official source I could check says an agent’s fee is normal. Official visa fees are listed on GOV.UK, and any agent who offers immigration advice should be on the Adviser Register. Search the register by name before you pay, and ask for a written breakdown of every charge.

What should I do if I already paid a scammer?

Stop all contact and make no more payments. Save every message and receipt, then tell your bank or payment provider quickly. Report the loss to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. Avoid anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee.

Can someone really guarantee a UK work visa?

I found no official GOV.UK statement on guarantees, so treat any guarantee as a warning sign. Visa decisions depend on your own application and the rules on GOV.UK. The safe test is to check that an adviser is authorised on the Adviser Register before you trust them with your case.

Are job offers on WhatsApp or Facebook safe?

I could not find an official page on job offers sent through messaging apps or social media, so I cannot say they are safe by rule. A message does not prove an employer exists. Verify the company on the official sponsor register and by calling a number you found yourself before you act.

How do I report a UK visa scam?

Report visa and immigration scams to Report Fraud, online at reportfraud.police.uk or by phone on 0300 123 2040. This covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Include names, phone numbers, websites, payment details and copies of messages. The GOV.UK page on reporting visa and immigration scams explains what to include.