Start with the issuing authority
Identify the department, commission, board or public employer named in the message. Then reach its website through a trusted directory or a web address you type yourself. For example, the Staff Selection Commission publishes at ssc.gov.in, UPSC publishes at upsc.gov.in, and Railway Recruitment Boards use their official regional and application portals. Do not rely on a forwarded shortened link to tell you where a notice came from.
Check that the notice appears on the authority's own website, not only on a social channel, job blog, image, messaging group or search advertisement. A legitimate-looking logo can be copied. A padlock or HTTPS connection protects a connection to a domain; it does not prove that the domain belongs to a government office.
Read the original notice, not just a headline
Open the complete notification or recruitment PDF and look for the issuing authority, notice number, publication date, post names, eligibility, selection stages, application dates, fee rules and official contact details. If an annexure or amendment is referenced, locate it too. Headlines can omit important conditions, and an older screenshot can continue circulating after the deadline or rule has changed.
Compare the vacancy count and dates in a summary with the original document. If an aggregator does not show a source or the numbers do not match, pause and use the issuing body's version. A job listing here is only a wayfinder: this site does not have a live vacancy feed and does not claim that a particular recruitment is open.
Inspect the application route
Use the application link named inside the official notice. Check the spelling of the domain carefully, including extra words, hyphens and unusual endings. A site may use a vendor or a separate registration portal, so a different domain is not automatically fraudulent; the important test is whether the issuing authority's own notice identifies it.
Before entering personal details, confirm that you reached the application page from that notice. Review the browser address bar after any redirect. Do not install an app or browser extension just because a message says it is required. Recruitment offices should not ask an applicant to disclose a password or one-time password to a caller or social-media account.
Treat payment requests with care
Some official processes have application fees and some have exemptions. Use only the amount, payment path and exemption rules stated in the current official notice. Do not transfer money to a personal bank account, personal QR code or individual wallet because someone promises a shortlist, guaranteed appointment, faster verification or an interview slot.
Keep the transaction receipt if you pay through the official portal. A receipt does not prove that the portal was genuine, so verify the route first. If you have already sent money to a suspected impersonator, contact your bank or payment provider promptly and use the relevant government reporting channel. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal provides a route for reporting cybercrime; follow its current instructions.
A safe application workflow
- Find the authority's official homepage independently.
- Open the current notice and any amendment or corrigendum.
- Write down the exact application period, eligibility and documents from that notice.
- Follow only its named application link; check the domain again before signing in or paying.
- Save a personal copy of the notification and your submission acknowledgement.
- Return to the authority's portal for admit-card, answer-key, result and next-stage announcements.
Never post a complete application form, identity document, admit card with sensitive details or payment receipt into a public chat to ask whether it is real. Remove personal identifiers before requesting general help.
Warning signs—and how to respond
Be cautious when a message guarantees selection, demands an urgent private payment, promises a job without an examination or interview where the official notice says otherwise, uses an unfamiliar application URL that is not named by the authority, or asks for OTPs and passwords. Poor spelling alone is not proof of fraud, and a professional design is not proof of legitimacy; verify the source instead.
If you find a suspicious listing, do not forward it as confirmed. Search the named notice on the department's site and report impersonation through the authority's official contact method. If the post appears on this portal, send the page URL and primary-source link through our contact form. It opens an email draft; the mailbox has not been verified, so it is not an emergency or fraud-reporting service.
Check for corrections and later updates
Verification is not a one-time event. Recruitment authorities may publish an amendment, corrigendum, revised schedule, cancellation notice or updated instructions after the first advertisement. Look for an update or notice section on the same official site and compare the notice number and dates. If a later document changes an earlier rule, read both and follow the authority's explanation of what is superseded. Do not assume a social post announcing an extension is valid until the issuing authority confirms it.
Keep a small record of the source you checked: the official URL, notice title or number, publication date and the date you reviewed it. This helps you distinguish an old copy from a newer version when a message is forwarded again. A browser bookmark should point to the authority's domain, not to an intermediary's shortened link. If you save a PDF, retain its title and publication details so you can find the live version later.
Protect your information during the process
Prepare only the documents the official application asks for, and upload them through the named portal. Do not send an entire identity file to an individual who claims to be an agent, recruiter or “verification officer.” Never share passwords or OTPs over a call or chat. If an official process requires an OTP, enter it only into the page you opened from the notice and only for the action described there.
Use a private device and connection when entering sensitive data where possible. Sign out after using a shared device, avoid saving credentials in a public browser, and store acknowledgements somewhere you control. If you discover that you submitted information to a suspicious site, stop using that link, change any reused password, contact the affected bank or service through its independently verified channel and report the incident through the appropriate official route.
A final check before forwarding a vacancy
- Can you name the department and locate the notice on its own website?
- Do the post, eligibility, vacancy figures, dates and fee details match the current document?
- Does the notice itself name the application link and any payment provider?
- Have you checked for an amendment, extension or cancellation?
- Can you share the official link instead of a cropped screenshot or unverified claim?
If any answer is uncertain, say that the information is unverified or do not forward it. This is especially important when a post requests money, identity details or urgent action. A cautious pause protects other applicants from relying on a detail that may be outdated, copied or incomplete.