What Lumen checks
- Posting age: stale listings deserve more scrutiny.
- Company hiring activity: recent, verifiable hiring signals matter.
- Repeated listings: the same role appearing again and again can signal a pipeline posting.
- Role clarity: real openings usually explain responsibilities, requirements, and location clearly.
- Source verification: the listing should connect to a real company and a trustworthy application path.
A warning signal is not proof. Lumen does not accuse employers of fraud or claim to know private hiring intent. It organizes public evidence so you can make a faster decision.
Ghost job or outright scam?
A ghost job is generally a role advertised without immediate intent to hire. A job scam is different: the person behind it may be trying to steal money or personal information. Never pay for equipment, deposit a check and send money back, or provide sensitive identity details before independently verifying the employer.
A two-minute check before applying
- Confirm the role appears on the employer's own careers page.
- Check when it was first posted and whether it keeps being refreshed.
- Look for named recruiters using the company's real email domain.
- Search for recent hiring activity and employee movement.
- Paste the listing into Lumen for a structured evidence review.
Worth an application?
Paste the job link. Lumen will surface the signals and evidence gaps.
Run the free checkSources and methodology
The FTC advises job seekers to verify recruiters and warns against fake checks, requests for payment, and unsolicited offers that seek financial or identity information. Greenhouse reports persistent candidate concern about ghost jobs and analyzes hiring outcomes at scale. Read the FTC job scam guidance and Greenhouse job-hunting report.