Recruitment Fraud Alert

Telos Corporation is aware that individuals or organizations may attempt to impersonate Telos, our employees, or our recruiting team as part of fraudulent hiring schemes. These scams may involve fake job postings, false interview requests, counterfeit offer letters, requests for personal information, or demands for payment. These scams may also involve fraudulent checks being mailed in envelopes bearing Telos Corporation’s name and return address (19886 Ashburn Road, Ashburn, VA 20147). Telos Corporation did not send these checks and has no connection to them.

Telos takes recruitment fraud seriously. We want candidates to know how to identify suspicious activity, verify legitimate recruiting communications, and protect their personal information.

How to Identify Hiring Fraud

Recruitment fraud often involves someone pretending to represent Telos or another legitimate employer. These scams may be conducted through email, text message, messaging apps, social media, job boards, or fake websites.

A communication may be fraudulent if it:

  • Comes from a personal email account or a domain that does not appear to be affiliated with Telos.
  • Offers employment without a formal interview process.
  • Requests money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, equipment purchases, or reimbursement arrangements.
  • Asks for sensitive personal information early in the process, such as Social Security numbers, bank account details, passport information, or copies of government identification.
  • Uses urgent language or pressures you to respond immediately.
  • Contains spelling errors, unusual formatting, or inconsistent job details.
  • Directs you to download unknown software or communicate only through encrypted messaging apps.
  • Provides an offer letter or employment agreement that appears inconsistent with Telos branding or standard business communications.

How to Verify a Telos Recruiter

If you are contacted by someone claiming to recruit for Telos, you should verify the communication before providing any personal information or taking further action.

To help confirm legitimacy:

  • Visit the official Telos careers page and confirm that the position is listed there.
  • Check that the recruiter is communicating from a legitimate Telos email address @telos.com.
  • Be cautious of communications from free email services, misspelled domains, or domains that are similar to, but not the same as, Telos’ official domain.
  • Do not rely solely on caller ID, social media profiles, or message signatures, as these can be spoofed or copied.
  • Contact Telos directly at careers@telos.com if you are unsure whether a communication is legitimate.

Telos recruiters will not ask candidates to pay fees, purchase equipment, send money, provide bank account details, or share highly sensitive personal information before a legitimate employment process requires it.

Red Flags

You should treat the following as warning signs:

  • A job offer is made without conducting an interview.
  • You are asked to pay for training, equipment, background checks, application processing, or onboarding.
  • You are asked to deposit a check and send money to a third party.
  • A check is mailed to you with Telos in the return address, but the check is not from a Telos account.
  • The sender uses an email address that is not associated with Telos.
  • The message asks you to communicate only by text, chat app, or personal email.
  • The position, compensation, or job duties appear unusually vague or inconsistent.
  • The sender offers resume coaching or training for technical assessments.
  • The sender claims the process must be completed immediately.
  • The communication asks for confidential information before you have verified the recruiter and the role.

Also, be cautious of LinkedIn profiles or messages that include:

  • Profile pictures that look AI-generated, overly polished, or unprofessional.
  • Few or no connections with Telos employees.
  • A LinkedIn URL that does not contain the person’s name or seems randomly generated.
  • Poor grammar, vague messaging, or unrealistic promises.

Best Practices for Candidates

To protect yourself during a job search:

  • Apply only through Telos’ official careers page or other trusted job platforms that direct you to Telos’ official application process.
  • Verify the recruiter and job posting before sharing personal information by emailing careers@telos.com.
  • Do not send money or provide payment information to anyone claiming to represent Telos.
  • Do not purchase equipment or services based on instructions from an unverified recruiter.
  • Do not provide sensitive personal information until you have confirmed that the opportunity is legitimate and the information is required for a valid employment purpose.
  • Save copies of suspicious messages, email headers, job postings, and contact information.
  • Report suspected fraud to the platform where the job was posted and to appropriate law enforcement or consumer protection authorities.

If You Suspect Recruitment Fraud

If you believe you have been contacted by someone falsely claiming to represent Telos, do not engage further, send money, or provide personal information. You may contact Telos at careers@telos.com to verify whether the communication is legitimate.

Be sure to report any suspicious contact to the media platform that was used.  If you think you have been a victim of a fraudulent job scam, file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov. You can also learn more about recruitment safety and where to report it through the Federal Trade Commission.

Telos is not responsible for fraudulent offers or communications made by individuals or organizations falsely claiming to act on our behalf. Only communications through legitimate Telos recruiting channels should be trusted.