It didn't take a day before I got a response. Everything was just too smooth. There was no complicated process. Everything looked too good to be true, and I just felt like, okay, something must be off.
When the project came, first of all, it didn't align with what actual AI training projects usually look like. It was a side-by-side comparison with very simple prompts and simple responses that looked like they were just AI-generated.
I already started feeling like, which company would want to train AI with this kind of data that just feels so simple that we can outrightly tell this is the answer and this is the wrong one?
Most real projects I have worked on are way more complicated, and you have to be careful, give them time and reason properly. In some cases, you don't even know which response is better. There is no clear distinction between which is better and which is not. You just have to look for very little clues and cues to make a judgment.
But in this case, we could outrightly tell, and it just felt too easy and too good. It was also promising too much.
That was the exact point where I knew something was definitely wrong.
Some other people followed through until the end, when they were asked to make a certain payment in order for the client to be able to pay into their accounts. I had already stopped initially because I could tell from experience that this was not an actual AI project.
What Does a Legitimate AI Training Recruitment Process Look Like?
A legitimate recruitment process, first of all, usually has a formal recruitment and application process.
However, sometimes there are subcontracts that are not originally handled directly by the major AI training company. They are rather given to a third party. In those kinds of situations, those contractors may operate in a less formal way, and it can still be a legitimate contract.
So I don't want to make it feel like every recruitment process must be very strict before it can be legitimate.
For full-fledged recruitment from established AI training companies, however, the process is usually more formal.
You apply and sometimes have to wait for a certain number of days or even a week. If you're qualified and match the role, you may be given an assessment. After the assessment, you're going to go through a review process.
Sometimes you get an AI interview. Sometimes you even get a team member interview for technical roles. This happened to me about a year ago when I was applying for one of these roles.
Some companies will walk you through several assessments, and some of them can take hours. Already, when you're going through these phases, you can tell that you're working with a serious company that needs the best people.
AI interviews are also becoming common in AI training recruitment nowadays.
The emails they use to contact you are another thing to consider. Most established companies and contractors use official emails that have the domain of their website. When you get in, you may also sign a properly documented contract and eventually get access to a dashboard.
Again, some contractors do not have all this paperwork because they operate less formally. So one missing step alone doesn't necessarily mean a project is fake.
Red Flags I Look Out for in AI Training Jobs
One thing I am very conscious about is Telegram and WhatsApp.
But I don't want to say that if a company uses WhatsApp, it is automatically not legitimate. Nowadays, some big AI companies use WhatsApp to send messages, but you may also simultaneously receive an email.
Many contractors also use WhatsApp and Telegram.
However, many fake recruiters like to message through Telegram, especially because of how easily conversations can disappear. I was invited to a project before, and it turned out to be fake recruitment on Telegram.
So I am very conscious when recruitment happens through Telegram and WhatsApp.
I also check Reddit. Reddit is one place I usually verify companies. I go there, confirm whether it is a legitimate company and see different people's opinions and experiences.
Strange links are another thing. I don't even click many strange links that I receive.
Unrealistic salaries are also a factor. Sometimes you see jobs without complicated requirements or strong expertise promising very high pay and unrealistic things.
Instant acceptance is another one. If there is no proper onboarding process at all, I become suspicious.
Personal Gmail accounts can also make me suspicious, especially when someone claims to represent an established company.
Another thing I check is the people behind the company. Sometimes the supposed team members don't want to show their faces, or when you check their LinkedIn, they don't have a good professional presence. Their LinkedIn may look like it was just recently created.
These are all things I try to confirm.
Should You Pay to Get an AI Training Job?
For me, asking you to pay money to get an AI training job is one of the biggest red flags.
This was what eventually happened with the fake project I encountered. Some people continued until they were asked to make a payment in order for the client to supposedly pay money into their accounts.
I had already stopped before it reached that stage because I could tell that the project didn't look like the actual AI training projects I was familiar with.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also warns that honest employers will not ask you to pay to get a job and advises job seekers to independently research companies before accepting offers. FTC — How to avoid job scams
How I Verify an AI Training Company
If it is from a company that I recognize but I'm not sure that the vacancy itself is real, I first go to the company's LinkedIn or official website.
If you go to the company's LinkedIn, you can see if there are any jobs advertised. You can also check Reddit. These are three things you can easily do.
If you check Reddit, you may also see if people are working on that particular project or applying for it. You can make a post asking questions too.
You can contact the company's support directly. You can even leave a comment on one of their recent LinkedIn posts asking them to confirm whether they have that kind of project going on.
If you're already in an official Discord or Slack community for the company, you can message support there too.
These are things you should do if it is a company you know but you don't think the position actually came from them. Scammers can impersonate real companies, so knowing that the company itself is legitimate is not enough.
The FTC similarly recommends finding the company's official website independently and checking whether the opening is actually listed there rather than relying only on information provided by a supposed recruiter. FTC — Job scam warning signs
Be Careful With Your Personal Information
Many AI training companies genuinely ask for sensitive information, so this part can be confusing.
Many companies use third-party services for ID verification. I think some big companies still do internal verification, but using a known third-party verification service is one thing I take note of.
Payment details are another area to be careful with. Many AI training companies use established payment platforms like Payoneer, Deel and Wise.
So if a company asks for payment information, you need to know exactly where you're submitting it and whether it is an official platform.
Contracts also matter. If there is supposed to be a serious project but there is no proper contract or information about how you're going to get paid, I already start becoming more careful.
Desperation Can Make You Ignore the Warning Signs
One of the most common mistakes I see when people desperately need an online job is going directly to individuals and asking them if they have projects or accounts they can help them manage.
This is a big mistake.
Sometimes these individuals may give you an account, which is first of all likely against the company's terms and conditions. When you work on these accounts, you may also not get paid.
Imagine spending your time doing annotation work for over a month, and the person who gave you the account refuses to pay you.
It is advisable to rather focus on your own application and apply for positions that you are qualified for.
Another mistake is ignoring what other workers are saying about a company's payment history. If I see many people complaining about payment problems, I will be very careful before committing my time to that company.
This doesn't automatically mean every company with complaints is a scam. But if a company is already showing signs that something might be wrong, desperation shouldn't make you ignore those signs just because you finally got an opportunity.
What Should You Do Before Applying?
If someone comes to me and says, “I found an AI training job and I don't know if it's legit,” I would tell them to first Google the AI company.
Go to their website.
Go to their LinkedIn and look through the comment section. Search the company's name on LinkedIn and see if people have made posts about the company before.
Also search for them on Reddit and see what people have already said about them.
If they don't have a website and they are just a contracted company, I would already be more careful. But they should at least have some kind of professional presence that you can verify.
Reddit, the company's homepage, LinkedIn, comment sections and opinions from remote-working communities can all help you fact-check an opportunity before you fall victim to a scam.
There are real AI training jobs out there. I have worked on many of them myself. But when you desperately need a job, don't allow that desperation to make you ignore the things that are already telling you something is wrong.
