Recruiting scams cut corners. We don’t. 🪚

Some scammers are pretending to be Thumbtack recruiters and employees, DIY’ing fake “Thumbtack offers” that just don’t pass inspection. Your career deserves craftsmanship, not corner-cutting. Real Thumbtack jobs are built to code: emails from our verified domains, multiple video interviews to lay the foundation, and zero requests for cash or private info. 

Here’s how to run a quick inspection, spot the knockoffs, and know when to call in our crew.

Inspection checklist 📋

  • Real messages come from @thumbtack.com or @talentcommunity.thumbtack.com and real offers follow multiple live interviews.
  • We’ll never ask for your SSN, money, gift cards, banking info, or equipment purchases before you start.
  • All open roles are listed on our Careers site.
  • Got a weird message? Don’t reply. Forward it to recruitingops@thumbtack.com and we’ll take it from there.

Signs that pass inspection ✅

  • Email domain: We email from @thumbtack.com and @talentcommunity.thumbtack.com only. Addresses like @careers-thumbtack.com (or look-alikes with extra words, hyphens, or misspellings) are not us. 
  • Interviews first, offers last: Every offer comes after multiple camera-on video interviews with our team, never by phone or text only.
  • No payments, ever: We won’t ask for fees, gift cards, crypto, or your bank details during hiring or at offer. 
  • Where to find roles: If a role isn’t on our Careers site, assume it’s not real. 

Red flags that don’t measure up 🚩

  • Pressure to act immediately or to keep the process secret.
  • Requests for SSN, bank info, or up front purchases of equipment.
  • Interviews conducted entirely by messaging apps, phone, or DM.
  • Job descriptions or offer letters with odd formatting, grammar issues, or salaries that feel too good to be true.

Fix-It toolkit if you spot a scam 🧰

  1. Stop and verify. Don’t respond or share sensitive information.
  2. Forward the message (email, text, or screenshot) to recruitingops@thumbtack.com so our team can investigate. 
  3. If you shared sensitive info, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze and contact local authorities. You can also report the account to the site or platform where it appeared. 

Promises built to code 🏡

A solid build starts with trust. That’s why we put as much care into candidate safety as we do into the hiring experience itself. We’re tracking these scams, sealing the cracks, and shutting them down. If something doesn’t look up to code, send it to recruitingops@thumbtack.com and we’ll handle the heavy lifting.