A fake experience letter can look better than a real one. Here is what to check on the page itself
An experience letter can look convincing: a logo, a signature, a stamp, dates that line up with the CV in front of you. That is exactly the problem. A letter is easy to produce and hard to fake well, but most hiring managers never look past the logo. Before you treat an experience letter as proof, it is worth checking a few details on the page itself, and asking a fair question when something looks off rather than assuming the worst.
What a genuine experience letter usually contains
A useful letter states the role title, the start and end dates, often the hours or employment type, a short summary of duties, and is signed by someone who can be contacted, usually on the company's own letterhead.
Details worth checking on the document itself
Letterhead and logo quality
A blurry or stretched logo, or a letterhead that does not match the company's actual branding on its own website, is worth a second look. So is a letterhead with no address, registration number or contact details at all, when the company's other materials usually include them.
Formatting consistency
A genuine letter is usually typed once, so fonts, spacing and date formats tend to be consistent throughout. A sudden font change partway through the duties paragraph, or a date written in a different format to the rest of the letter, can mean a section was edited after the fact.
Contact details that actually resolve
Check whether the phone number and email domain on the letter match the company's real, public contact details, rather than a personal email address or a number that goes nowhere.
Signature and stamp
In many countries a signature alone is normal; in others, a company stamp is expected alongside it. A stamp that looks pasted in, or a signature with no printed name and title underneath it, is worth asking about.
Small wording mismatches
A misspelled version of the company's own name, a job title that does not match how the company usually describes that role, or duties that read like a generic template rather than anything specific to that workplace, are all small signals worth noticing together rather than alone.
| What you are looking at | Usually fine | Worth a question |
|---|---|---|
| Letterhead and logo | Matches the company's real branding, clear and proportioned | Blurry, stretched, or no address or contact details at all |
| Fonts and formatting | Consistent through the whole letter | Font or date format changes partway through |
| Contact details | Match the company's public phone number or email domain | A personal email address or a number that does not connect |
| Signature and stamp | A printed name and title under the signature; a stamp where that is locally expected | No printed name or title, or a stamp that looks pasted in |
Checking a letter from an overseas employer
A letter from another country adds an extra layer: different letterhead conventions, a company you cannot easily search, and sometimes a translation. None of that makes the letter less trustworthy by default, but it does change how you check it. Ask whether the letter is a translation and, if so, whether it is a certified one; a professional translation usually carries the translator's own stamp or statement alongside the original wording. Search for the overseas company's own website or local business registry rather than relying only on the letter's address.
If the letterhead is in a script or language you cannot read, ask the candidate to point out where the role, dates and company name appear, and compare that against anything else they have provided, such as payslips or a government ID in the same name.
Quick checks that do not need special tools
- Search the company name to confirm it exists and matches the address and industry on the letter.
- Compare the email domain on the letter with the company's own website, rather than trusting a free email address.
- Call the number on the company's own website, not the number printed on the letter, and ask to confirm the role and dates.
- Check whether the role appears on the candidate's professional profile with roughly matching dates.
What to do when something looks off
An odd date, a missing stamp or a generic duty list is a question to ask, not proof that someone lied. Smaller companies often have simple letterhead; some countries do not use stamps at all; a manager who has since left may have signed with just their name. Ask the candidate directly, and ask the company to confirm the basics, before treating a letter as unreliable.
A fair question is specific rather than accusatory: asking whether it is normal for that employer to skip a company stamp, or asking the candidate to point you to someone still at the company who can confirm the dates, gives a genuine candidate an easy way to answer, while still surfacing a real problem if one exists.
Why this is worth the extra few minutes
Most candidates are honest, and a quick check is not about assuming otherwise. It is about the cost of being wrong the other way: a hire made on duties and dates that turn out not to match reality can be expensive to unwind, especially for a role where the experience itself was the main reason for the offer. A few checks on the document, done consistently for every candidate rather than only the ones that feel suspicious, protect both the business and the honest candidates who are being compared fairly against everyone else.
Where a verified profile can help
Talent Tabloid lets a candidate nominate the person who can confirm a role, such as a former manager or HR contact, or send documents like service letters, contracts or pay sheets for the team to review; the badge appears once that check is complete, with no promise of an instant result. The team's document review looks for the same kind of detail covered above, letterhead, consistency, contact details that resolve, and may contact the verifying party directly when the documents alone leave a question. If a candidate has shared their public profile, you can also look them up directly on People Search by name or username to see what has already been checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is a missing company stamp always a red flag?
No. Stamping practices vary a lot by country and by company size, so a missing stamp alone is not proof of anything; look at it alongside the other details.
Should I reject a candidate over one odd detail on a letter?
Not on its own. Ask the candidate to explain it, and check with the company directly, before deciding it changes anything.
Does a verified badge prove the letter is genuine?
No single check removes all doubt, but it means someone other than the candidate, either the nominated verifier or the review team, has looked at the claim.
What if the company has since closed down?
Ask for other evidence instead, such as pay records, tax documents or a colleague who can confirm the role, since the original company can no longer confirm anything.
Key takeaways
- Check letterhead quality, formatting consistency, contact details and the signature or stamp before relying on a letter.
- Confirm the company's phone number and email domain independently, rather than trusting what is printed on the letter.
- Treat anything odd as a question for the candidate and the company, not automatic proof of a lie.
- A verified profile adds a second check, by a nominated verifier or document review, on top of the letter itself.
If you are hiring regularly, you can create an employer account to search verified profiles, or read more about how checks work on the employers page.
