Applying Safely for Remote Medical & Healthcare Jobs — How to Spot Scams, Verify Employers, and Apply Securely

Levi Cheptora

Wed, 05 Nov 2025

There’s an active phishing scam that targets job-seekers on job boards: after initial contact scammers ask for a Skype/Zoom interview, instruct you to download a ZIP labelled “writing guidelines” or “payment terms,” and ask you to invoice via PayPal — the ZIP can contain a keylogger aimed at stealing PayPal or banking credentials. Always verify every contact, never run unknown executables, and follow the safety checklist below before you reply or invest time. teladochealth.com+1

Why this matters for medical & healthcare applicants

Healthcare staff are in demand — and that makes us targets. Scams are sophisticated (fake job posts, copied company pages, spoofed emails) and often aim to harvest credentials, money, or personal data. Protecting your identity and payment channels protects your license, bank accounts, and professional reputation. Employers like Teladoc, Omada and Hinge Health explicitly warn applicants about recruitment fraud and state they never ask for financial details during hiring. teladochealth.com+2omadahealth.com+2

Short checklist — what to never do

• Never download or run ZIP files, EXE, or documents that ask you to “enable macros” from unknown senders.

• Never send invoices, bank account details, PayPal credentials, or screenshots of verification/OTP codes before employment is verified.

• Don’t install remote-control apps at a recruiter’s request unless you have independently verified the company’s IT contact and received a signed offer.

• Don’t give personal identity documents (passport, driver’s license) via email unless you’ve verified the employer through official channels and they have an HR portal.

• Never use plain-text passwords or re-use credentials across sites (use a password manager).

How the common scam works (typical sequence)

1. You see a job listing on a general board (often reposted from other sites).

2. A recruiter or “hiring manager” messages you from a free email (Gmail, Hotmail) or a spoofed domain.

3. They ask for a quick Skype/Zoom interview (sometimes outside company systems).

4. After rapport is established they ask you to download a ZIP or document (“writing guidelines,” “NDAs,” or “payment terms”) to review and then invoice.

5. The file is a keystroke logger or remote-access trojan; next they ask you to invoice via PayPal or “send small test payment” and then attempt to steal funds/credentials.

If it smells weird at any step — stop and verify with the company’s official careers page. Teladoc and other reputable employers publish specific recruiting fraud warnings. teladochealth.com+1

Step-by-step guide to detect fake job offers (do this before you reply)

Step 1 — Verify the job posting is real

1. Copy the exact job title and search for it on the company’s official careers page (don’t rely on one job board listing). Example: search Teladoc, Omada, Mayo Clinic careers pages. teladochealth.com+2job-boards.greenhouse.io+2

2. If the posting exists on the company site, check posting ID, location, and application URL match the board listing. Mismatches are red flags.

Step 2 — Check the sender’s email & identity

1. Recruiter e-mail should come from an official corporate domain (e.g., @teladochealth.com). Free webmail (Gmail/Hotmail) or domains that look similar (teladochealth-career.com) are suspicious. Teladoc‘s fraud notice explicitly says recruiters use @teladochealth.com. teladochealth.com

2. View the email headers (raw) to inspect the originating server IP & Return-Path if you know how — otherwise forward the suspicious email to the company’s security or jobs contact for verification.

Step 3 — Confirm recruiter & role on LinkedIn

1. Search the recruiter's name and email domain on LinkedIn: do they appear as an employee at the company? Are they connected to other verified employees?

2. Be cautious when the LinkedIn profile is brand new, has few connections, or lacks work history.

Step 4 — Don’t run files or grant remote access

1. If they ask you to download a ZIP, PDF or Word doc, refuse. Ask them to share content via the company’s official HR portal or a view-only Google Drive link.

2. Never enable macros on Word/Excel files from unknown sources — macros are a common malware vector.

Step 5 — Money red flags

1. Requests to invoice via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or to send a “test payment” are red flags until HR confirms vendor onboarding and legal contracts.

2. Legit employers do not ask for PayPal login credentials or request you to “refund” a difference after an overpayment.

Step 6 — Interview platform & method

1. Reputable employers normally schedule interviews via official calendar invites (Outlook/Google) and corporate meeting tools (MS Teams, Zoom Pro) linked to company domains. Beware recruiters who insist on Skype or obscure chat apps for first interviews. Teladoc warns they use Microsoft Teams. teladochealth.com

2. If a video call is requested, check the meeting link domain and ask the recruiter to send it from their corporate email.

Step 7 — Verify job details with the company

1. Use the company careers page contact (HR or recruiting contact) — not the recruiter’s email — to confirm. Many large employers list “contact recruiter” or have an applicant tracking system (ATS).

2. If unable to find an HR contact, call the company’s main switchboard and ask to be connected to recruitment to confirm the opening.

Step 8 — Trust your gut & document everything

1. Save all messages, IPs, file names and attachments.

2. If you suspect fraud — stop communication and report (see reporting steps below).

How to verify a real recruiter — short email template you can send

(Use only after you’ve found a company contact or the posting on the company careers page.)

Subject: Quick verification — [Job Title] application contact

Hi [HR / Recruiting Team],

I received an outreach from “[Name]” at [email address] about your [Job Title] role posted on [where you saw it]. Could you confirm whether they are a legitimate recruiter for [Company Name] and whether this posting is active? I can share the outreach if helpful.

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[LinkedIn profile URL]
[City, Country]

How to test a suspicious file safely (if you must see it)

1. NEVER open on your main machine or give elevated privileges.

2. Use an isolated sandbox or virtual machine that you can wipe (or an online sandbox service). Even then, better to insist the employer uses official HR portals or read-only links.

3. If a company insists on a download, ask for a sanitized PDF or a hosted page instead.

How to report suspected recruitment fraud (where to notify)

• Report to the job board where you found the posting (LinkedIn, Indeed, FlexJobs — use their “report” or “flag” tools). LinkedIn+1

• Report to the company being impersonated (forward the message to careers@companydomain or security@companydomain). Many employers have a “recruiting fraud” inbox and will confirm. Teladoc explicitly lists accessibility/recruiting fraud contact methods on their careers site. teladochealth.com

• File a complaint with your country’s cybercrime unit (e.g., US: FTC & IC3; UK: Action Fraud; national CERTs).

• If money was lost, contact your bank/PayPal immediately and file a police report — then preserve all communications.

Red/Green signs quick reference (one-minute check)

Green (good signs):

• Job posted on company careers page + ATS link. job-boards.greenhouse.io+1

• Recruiter uses corporate email domain (e.g., @hingehealth.com). hingehealth

• Interview invites come from company calendars or verified meeting links.

• No request for money, payment credentials, or identity docs before formal offer & HR portal.

Red (bad signs):

• Interview only via Skype from free accounts; insists you install a tool or download a zip.

• Recruiter asks you to invoice via PayPal before contract signing or asks for PayPal login.

• Job description is vague, salary “too good to be true,” or contact details inconsistent with the company site.

• Poor spelling/grammar and email domain mismatches.

Legit & reputable categorized medical & healthcare employers (working URLs)

Below are commonly-hiring, reputable organizations that run remote/telehealth or remote-friendly roles. Always verify postings on the company careers page (links given).

Telehealth & Digital Health Companies

• Teladoc Health — https://www.teladochealth.com/careers/ teladochealth.com

• Omada Health — https://www.omadahealth.com/about-us/careers/ omadahealth.com+1

• Hinge Health — https://careers.hingehealth.com/ hingehealth

• Virta Health — https://www.virtahealth.com/careers/ virtahealth.com

• Noom — https://www.noom.com/careers/ Noom: Lose weight and keep it off.

Health Systems & Hospitals (remote program roles & telehealth ops)

• Mayo Clinic — https://jobs.mayoclinic.org/ jobs.mayoclinic.org

• Johns Hopkins Medicine — https://jobs.hopkinsmedicine.org/ jobs.hopkinsmedicine.org

• Cleveland Clinic — https://jobs.clevelandclinic.org/

• Kaiser Permanente — https://www.kaiserpermanentejobs.org/

Pharma / CRO / RWE Employers

• IQVIA — https://jobs.iqvia.com/en

• Parexel — https://www.parexel.com/careers/

• ICON plc — https://careers.iconplc.com/

Health IT / EHR Vendors

• Epic Systems — https://careers.epic.com/

• Oracle Health / Cerner — https://www.oracle.com/careers/

• Athenahealth — https://www.athenahealth.com/careers/

Global Health & Public Agencies

• World Health Organization (WHO) — https://www.who.int/careers/ World Health Organization

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) — https://www.cdc.gov/about/careers/

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/careers/

Job Boards & Career Hubs (start your verified search here)

• LinkedIn Jobs — https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/ LinkedIn

• Indeed — https://www.indeed.com/ Indeed

• FlexJobs — https://www.flexjobs.com/

• Health eCareers — https://www.healthecareers.com/

• BioSpace — https://jobs.biospace.com/

Bookmark the official careers page for any employer you apply to — that’s the fastest way to confirm a posting is genuine.

Practical “apply safely” workflow (what to do when you see a listing)

1. Find job on company careers page. If not there, pause.

2. Apply via official ATS link (not via a recruiter who emailed from a free account).

3. If contacted, confirm the recruiter’s email domain & LinkedIn profile. Use the template above to validate.

4. Ask for interviews via company calendar invites (Teams/Zoom with company domain) — decline odd platforms. teladochealth.com

5. Refuse all downloads — request read-only links or PDFs on the company site.

6. Only share sanitized identity docs after you receive a written offer and have a verified HR portal.

7. If offered payment before employment, involve your bank and request a bona fide contract & W-9/Company vendor onboarding before invoicing.

What to do if you already ran a file or sent PayPal credentials

1. Immediately change passwords for PayPal and any affected email/login.

2. Contact PayPal support and your bank — report suspicious transactions and request reversals where possible.

3. Run a full malware scan on your machine from a clean device; consider wiping and reinstalling the OS.

4. Notify the real company (whose identity was spoofed) and file a police report; collect all communications for evidence.

Short FAQ

Q: “They asked for an invoice — isn’t that normal for contractors?”
A: Only invoice after you’ve been onboarded as a vendor through the company’s official vendor portal or HR system and after you receive a signed contract. Cold requests to invoice by PayPal before onboarding are suspicious.

Q: “Can I accept Skype interviews?”
A: Use Skype only if the recruiter is verified and meeting invites are sent from the corporate domain. Prefer Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or company-hosted Zoom links sent by corporate email.

Q: “How to handle recruiters on LinkedIn who message me from personal email?”
A: Politely ask them to send the official company job link and a corporate email address. Use the verification template above if needed.

Final top-line safety tips (remember these)

• Always confirm the role on the company’s official careers page. job-boards.greenhouse.io+1

• Check email domain & LinkedIn profile before sharing sensitive details. teladochealth.com+1

• Never download unknown ZIPs or enable macros.

• Never provide payment credentials or invoice before formal vendor onboarding.

• Report suspicious postings to the job board, impersonated employer, and local cybercrime authorities. The Wall Street Journal