How to Verify Whether an International Employer Is Legitimate

This matters more from Nigeria than most places. Most of the foreign companies you'll apply to are names you've never heard of, recruiters reach you on WhatsApp and LinkedIn, and a convincing fake costs almost nothing to build. The FBI has warned that scammers copy real job ads, put them on real job sites and use the names of real HR staff (FBI IC3, February 2022).

This guide covers how to check a company register in the US, UK and Canada, how to tell a genuine company website from a lookalike, and how to confirm the recruiter is real. It finishes with a 15-minute checklist you can run before you send a CV, a passport scan or your bank details.

Quick answer

A legitimate international employer can be traced through sources the recruiter didn't give you. Find the vacancy on the company's own careers page, which you reach by typing the web address yourself. Search the company's legal name on the official register in its home country. Confirm the recruiter's name and email domain match the company. Real employers don't charge application, training or equipment fees, and they don't ask for bank details before a written offer.

Why one check is never enough

People usually check one thing and stop: the company has a website, so it must be real. That's the gap scammers use. A fake operation can use the name of a genuine company, so the registry check passes. It can copy that company's website onto a lookalike domain, so the website "exists". It can use a real employee's name and photo, so the LinkedIn search passes too.

The FBI described this exact pattern. Scammers post fake jobs alongside real ones on legitimate job sites, copy real ads with the contact details changed, and keep using real employees' identities through interviews and hiring (FBI IC3).

So "legitimate" has three layers, and you need all three:

A real company with a fake recruiter is still a scam. A real recruiter at a company whose careers page doesn't show the role might just be slow to update. That second case is a reason to ask questions, not to send documents.

Step 1: Find the vacancy on the company's own website

Start here because it's the fastest check and it catches the most fakes. Type the company's name into Google or Bing yourself. Don't click a link from the recruiter. Open the official site and find "Careers", "Jobs" or "Join us", usually in the footer.

Many international companies list jobs through an applicant tracking system (ATS). You'll know you've landed on one if the careers page sends you to Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workable or a similar platform, with the company's name in the address. That's normal. What matters is that you reached it from the company's own site, not from a link someone sent you.

Then compare the ad you were sent with the one on the careers page:

• Is the job title the same, or close?
• Does the location line match? "Remote, US only" on the careers page and "Remote, worldwide" in the WhatsApp message is a serious mismatch.
• Is the pay similar? A salary far above what the official page lists is a warning sign.
• Is the ad still open?

If the role isn't there, email the address listed on the official careers or contact page and ask whether the vacancy and the recruiter are genuine. The FBI recommends checking postings against the company's own website or HR department (FBI IC3).

Checking whether a role actually accepts people living in Nigeria is a separate question. We cover it in how to verify whether a remote job accepts Nigerian residents.

How to check whether a remote company actually exists

A real company leaves an official paper trail. It's registered with a government body, and in most countries anyone can search that register online for free. A company that can't give you its full legal name, or doesn't appear on any register where it claims to be based, has failed the most basic test.

Get the full legal name first

The brand on the website ("Acme") is often different from the registered name ("Acme Software Ltd" or "Acme Labs, Inc."). Look for the legal name in the website footer, the terms of service, the privacy policy or the offer letter. If the recruiter won't tell you which legal entity would employ or contract you, treat that as a red flag. You need that name for your contract anyway.

Search the official register in the company's home country

Some notes on using these registers, as of October 2026:

• UK: The government says you can get a company's registered address, date of incorporation, current and resigned officers, previous names and insolvency information free from Companies House (GOV.UK). Companies House states that it doesn't check whether filed information is accurate, so a listing proves the company was registered, not that it's honest.
• US: Companies register by state, not nationally. Many US startups incorporate in Delaware even when their office is elsewhere, so try Delaware first and then the state where the company says it's based. The Delaware search shows basic details free of charge and charges for certified status documents. EDGAR only helps with companies that file with the SEC, which mostly means public companies, so don't count it against a small private startup that isn't there.
• Canada: The federal search confirms corporations created under federal law. It doesn't cover corporations registered under provincial law, which you'll find through Canada's provincial business registries.
• Nigeria: If a Nigerian recruitment agency or "partner" is involved, look it up on the Corporate Affairs Commission's public search. A Lagos agency representing a foreign client should be a registered business, not just a WhatsApp number.

What a registry entry proves, and what it doesn't

A registry entry tells you a legal entity with that name exists and is active (or dissolved). It doesn't tell you the person messaging you works there. Read the details too:

• Dissolved or in liquidation: The company can't hire you. Stop.
• Incorporated last month, but the ad claims "10 years in business": The story doesn't add up.
• Registered address is a formation agent or virtual office: Common for small, legitimate remote companies, so this alone proves nothing. Weigh it with everything else.
• Officer names: Search the founders or directors on LinkedIn. Real founders usually have a history you can trace.

Look for a footprint that's hard to fake

Beyond the register, a genuine employer usually has things a scammer can't easily create:

• A product or service you can actually see, sign up for or buy.
• A LinkedIn company page with employees whose profiles go back years and list the company in their work history.
• Coverage in trade press, funding announcements or app store listings under the same name.
• Reviews from former employees on several sites, not just one. Read them as self-reported opinions, not proof.

The FTC suggests searching the company or recruiter's name together with words like "scam", "review" or "complaint" (FTC). The FBI also suggests searching the company name on its own: several similar-looking domains for one company can mean someone has spoofed it (FBI IC3).

How to check whether a remote employer's website is genuine

The most dangerous fake is a copy of a real company's website on a domain that's one letter off. Everything looks right: the logo, the team page, the careers section. Only the address in the browser bar is different.

Read the domain letter by letter

Compare the domain in the email or link with the one you found by searching for the company yourself. Look for:

• Extra words: "acme-careers.com" or "acmehiring.net" instead of "acme.com".
• Swapped or doubled letters: "acrne" (r and n) instead of "acme".
• A different ending: ".co", ".org" or an unrelated country code where the real company uses ".com".
• Subdomain tricks: "acme.com.jobs-portal.net" belongs to "jobs-portal.net", not to Acme. The real owner is the part just before the final ending.

The FBI warns that links, emails and phone numbers in fake ads lead to sites the scammers control, which they use to collect personal data (FBI IC3).

Check when the domain was registered

ICANN, the body that coordinates domain names, runs a free public tool called ICANN Lookup. It shows current registration data for a domain, including when it was registered. Enter the domain exactly as it appears in the email or link.

A company that claims years of history but whose domain was registered a few weeks ago deserves suspicion. Most owner names and contact details are hidden for privacy now, so don't read anything into a redacted owner. The registration date and registrar are the useful parts.

Match the email domain to the website

The email from the recruiter should come from the company's real domain, the same one as the website you found yourself. An offer from "hr.acme@gmail.com", or from "acme-talent.com" when the site is "acme.com", needs strong independent confirmation.

Some very small companies and solo founders do use free email accounts. That doesn't make them fake, but it moves the burden onto the other checks: register, careers page and a call through a number you found yourself.

Signs on the site itself

• The careers page lists jobs, but every "Apply" button sends you to WhatsApp, Telegram or a Google Form.
• The site has no legal name, terms, privacy policy or physical address anywhere.
• The team page photos turn up on other sites under different names when you run a reverse image search.
• The site was built in a hurry: broken links, placeholder text, a product page with nothing behind it.

How to verify that the recruiter really works for the company

A real company and a fake recruiter is the most common combination, because borrowing a well-known name is easier than inventing one.

1. Search the recruiter on LinkedIn. Look at how long the profile has existed, its connections, its history at the company and whether colleagues at that company are connected to them.
2. Look for a verification badge. LinkedIn lets members verify their workplace with a code sent to their company email, which must match their employer's domain. Viewers see the badge but not the email address (LinkedIn Help). The feature only works at selected companies, so a missing badge proves nothing. A badge for the right company is a good sign.
3. Contact the company through a channel you found yourself. Use the careers email or the main switchboard from the official website and ask whether this person recruits for them and whether the role exists.
4. Insist on a live video interview with company staff. The FBI suggests a video call as a way to confirm identity before handing over personal details (FBI IC3). An "interview" done entirely by text chat on Telegram is a warning sign. See how to recognise fake remote job interviews.
5. Notice whether it's an agency. Recruitment agencies and employer-of-record firms often hire on behalf of a client. That's normal, but then you're verifying two companies. Our guide on telling recruitment agencies apart from direct employers explains how.

Red flags that override every other check

If any of the following happens, the employer fails, however good the website and registry results look.

• They ask you to pay. This includes application, training, "starter kit", certification, equipment, visa or "processing" fees. The FTC says honest employers never charge you to get a job (FTC). See why you should never pay to receive a remote job offer.
• They send a cheque or transfer and ask for part of it back. The FTC describes this overpayment trick: the payment later bounces or is reversed, and you owe the full amount (FTC).
• They ask for your BVN, bank PIN, card details or a NIN slip before a written offer. The FBI notes that legitimate employers typically collect bank and personal details after hiring (FBI IC3).
• The job is "rate products" or "click to boost", and you pay in crypto to release earnings. That's a task scam, not a job.
• The pressure is urgent. "Accept in two hours or lose the slot."

Our guide to spotting remote job scams in Nigeria covers these patterns in more detail. If a recruiter has already asked you for money, read what to do if a remote job recruiter asks for money.

Nigeria-specific checks before you accept

Some verification steps only apply when you're hired from Nigeria by a company abroad.

Who will actually pay you

Ask whether you'll be a contractor paid directly, or an employee through an employer of record (EOR) such as Deel or Remote. With an EOR, you'll get an invitation to sign up on the EOR's own platform from its official domain. You can confirm that by going to the platform directly instead of clicking the email link. A "company" that wants to pay through a personal account belonging to someone else, or by gift cards, fails. Our pages on contractor vs EOR employment and how to receive dollar payments in Nigeria explain the legitimate routes.

Recruiting on WhatsApp and Telegram

Genuine recruiters do sometimes follow up on WhatsApp. They rarely run the whole process there. If you've never had an email from a company domain, never spoken to anyone on video and never seen a contract, assume it isn't genuine yet. More in avoiding remote job scams on Telegram and WhatsApp.

Documents and identity

You'll eventually need to share ID, usually your international passport, for background checks or EOR onboarding. Share it only after you've verified the company and received a written offer, and preferably through the employer's or EOR's secure portal rather than WhatsApp. Read what to know before sending your passport to a recruiter.

The contract names the legal entity

A real offer names the company that's hiring or contracting you, matching what you found on the register, plus your pay, currency, payment schedule and notice terms. If the contract names a different company, ask why. Our guide on what to check in a remote work contract before signing goes through the clauses.

A 15-minute verification checklist

Run these in order. Stop at the first clear failure.

Example (hypothetical): checking a too-good offer

Example (hypothetical): Chidinma, a customer support agent in Ibadan, gets a LinkedIn message from "Sarah, Talent Partner at Brightdesk", a US software company. The offer is $2,500 a month for remote chat support, "fully remote, worldwide". Sarah asks her to continue on Telegram.

Chidinma searches "Brightdesk" herself and finds the official site at brightdesk.com. The careers page lists a support role, but it says "Remote, US and Canada only". Sarah's email signature uses brightdesk-careers.com, and ICANN Lookup shows that domain was registered three weeks earlier. The Delaware search shows Brightdesk, Inc. is a real, active company.

So the company is real, but the domain is a lookalike and the location rules contradict the message. Chidinma emails the address on Brightdesk's official contact page. The reply says no one called Sarah works in recruitment. She reports the profile to LinkedIn and stops. If she'd only checked the register, she'd have trusted a scam.

What to do if the checks fail

Stop replying and don't send further documents. Report the fake profile or ad on the platform where you found it, and tell the real company, which often has a fraud contact on its careers page. If the scam impersonates a US company, the FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov (FTC). If you've already paid or shared bank details, call your bank at once. Our guide on what to do if you've been scammed by a fake employer covers the next steps in Nigeria.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check if a foreign company is registered?

Search the company's full legal name on the official business register in its home country. Examples are Companies House for the UK, the relevant state register (often Delaware) for the US, and Corporations Canada or a provincial register for Canada. Basic searches on these registers are free.

Is a job offer fake if the recruiter uses Gmail?

Not always, but it needs stronger checks. Some very small companies use free email. Most established employers recruit from their company domain. Confirm the recruiter by contacting the company through its official website before you share any documents.

How do I check whether a company website is genuine or a copy?

Find the company yourself through a search engine and compare that domain with the one in your email or link, letter by letter. Then use ICANN Lookup to check when the domain was registered. A domain registered a few weeks ago for a company that claims years of history is a strong warning sign.

Can a scam use the name of a real company?

Yes, and it's common. The FBI has reported scammers copying real job ads, spoofing company websites and using real employees' identities during fake interviews. That's why you have to confirm the person and the vacancy with the company itself, not just confirm that the company exists.

Does a LinkedIn verification badge prove a recruiter is real?

It's a good sign, not proof of everything. LinkedIn's workplace verification confirms the person controls an email address on the company's domain, but the feature only works at selected companies. A missing badge doesn't mean the person is fake.

Should I send my passport or NIN to an international employer?

Only after you've verified the company and received a written offer, and preferably through the employer's or EOR's secure portal. Never send ID, BVN or bank details to someone you've only spoken to on WhatsApp or Telegram.

Do legitimate remote employers ask for payment for training or equipment?

No. Honest employers don't charge you to get a job, according to the FTC. Legitimate companies either send equipment, reimburse you, or state an equipment allowance in the contract.

Key takeaways

• Verify three things separately: the company exists, the vacancy is on its own careers page, and the recruiter works there.
• Use official registers in the employer's home country, such as Companies House, Delaware or Corporations Canada, and get the full legal name first.
• A registry listing proves a company exists, not that the person contacting you represents it.
• Compare domains letter by letter and check domain age with ICANN Lookup to catch copied websites.
• Any request for money, a cheque "refund", crypto or your BVN before a written offer ends the process.
• Contact the company through details you found yourself, never through links the recruiter sent.

Next steps

Start your search with listings that state where applicants may live. On WorkRemote's remote job listings, each role shows the company and its website, so you can run the checks above before applying. WorkRemote reviews listings and aims to publish genuine remote roles open to applicants from Nigeria, but it can't check every detail, so run your own checks too. After a search, use "Get email updates" to get new matching jobs by email each day. Before you apply, bookmark our guide to spotting remote job scams and read how to identify fake remote job offers.

Sources

• Job Scams, US Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice
• Public Service Announcement I-020122-PSA, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (1 February 2022)
• Find and update company information, Companies House (GOV.UK)
• Get information about a company, GOV.UK
• Entity Search, Delaware Division of Corporations
• EDGAR Full Text Search, US Securities and Exchange Commission
• Search for a Federal Corporation, Corporations Canada
• Domain Registration Data Advanced Lookup Functionality Now Available, ICANN blog
• Workplace verification with your work email, LinkedIn Help