I got a video interview invite from a company I didn’t apply to, is it a scam?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to spot a fake job offer →
Usually yes, especially if it asks you to “verify your identity” on a link first. Increasingly these use a deepfake video, a scammer on camera posing as a hiring manager, to make the fake interview feel real, and they move it to Telegram or a random meeting link and ask for ID or bank details up front. You can’t be shortlisted for a job you never applied to, and real interviews follow a real application and use the company’s own domain.
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The people most exposed are job seekers hungry for a fast yes, and the con increasingly props up a deepfake “hiring manager” on camera to sell the fake interview. An invite reads as progress, so the instinct is to comply: verify here, join on Telegram, upload this. The awkward question, why does a role I never applied to want my documents up front?, only surfaces after the details are already gone.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- You can’t be “shortlisted” for a job you never applied to, that alone is a red flag.
- Confirm the recruiter’s email domain matches the company’s official one.
- Never submit ID, SSN, or bank details before a real, verified interview.
- Be suspicious of interviews moved to Telegram/WhatsApp or a personal meeting link.
Common questions
is a Telegram job interview a scam
Almost always. Real companies interview over their own scheduling tools or verified video links, not Telegram. Moving the process to Telegram is a way to avoid a paper trail and rush you.
got an interview invite for a job I didn’t apply to
That’s a red flag on its own. You can’t be shortlisted for a role you never applied to, so an unsolicited invite is usually bait to collect your ID or bank details.
should I verify my identity before a job interview
No. Legitimate employers don’t make you “verify identity” on a link before you’ve interviewed. That step exists only to harvest your documents or login.
is a remote Google interview on Telegram real
No. Google interviews come from a google.com address and use its own systems. A Google interview routed through Telegram with an identity-verification link is an impersonation.
If you already responded
- Stop the process and send no ID, Social Security number, or bank details.
- If you uploaded documents, watch for identity theft, consider a credit freeze and change any password you reused.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Source: FTC, Job Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Google. Google is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Google does not send these messages.