In the last few years, India’s job market has seen a massive rise in new companies, startups, and tech firms. While many of these are legitimate and trustworthy, some companies engage in unfair practices, fake recruitment, salary delays, cheating, or violations of labour laws. Because of this, job seekers, freelancers, and clients often want to know whether a company is blacklisted, unreliable, or unsafe before getting involved with them.
The problem is that there is no publicly published official blacklist that contains the names of all unreliable companies. Government bodies sometimes take action, but such information is scattered across different portals. This makes it difficult for people to identify whether a company is trustworthy.
This article solves that problem.
In this detailed 2000-word guide, you will learn:
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How to check if a company is legal or fake
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How to verify compliance and government registration
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How to check reviews, complaints, and warnings
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Signs of fraud companies in India
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Tools, websites, and portals to cross-check reliability
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What to do if you already joined a bad company
Let’s start from the basics.
⭐ 1. Why It Is Important to Check Company Reliability
Before joining any company or accepting a job offer, it is important to know if the company is:
✔ Registered
✔ Financially stable
✔ Paying employees on time
✔ Following Indian labour laws
✔ Doing real business
✔ Not involved in fraud or scams
Ignoring these checks can lead to:
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Salary delays
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Fake job offers
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No appointment letter
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Forced work without pay
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Legal issues
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Fake training fee scams
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Fake internship companies
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Fake IT consultancies
A few minutes of research can save you from months of stress.
⭐ 2. How to Check if a Company Is Registered and Legal (Step-by-Step)
The first step is to verify if the company is legally registered in India.
✔ A) Use the MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs) Website
Every legal company must be registered with the MCA.
You can check company details here:
👉 MCA Company/LLP Master Data Portal
Search using:
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Company name
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Director name
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CIN number
You will get:
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Registration date
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Directors
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Location
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Compliance status
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Whether the company is active
If a company is not found at all, it is a big red flag.
✔ B) Check GST Registration
Most companies offering commercial services require GST registration.
Search using:
👉 GST Search Portal
If:
❌ No GST record
❌ Fake GST number
❌ Mismatched address
Then the company may not be reliable.
✔ C) Check Website Domain Age
Fake companies usually have very new websites.
Use:
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Whois Lookup
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DomainAgeChecker
If the domain was created only a few months ago, be careful—especially if offering jobs.
⭐ 3. How to Check If a Company Is Blacklisted or Has Complaints
While there is no single "blacklist," you can check through various platforms.
✔ A) Glassdoor Reviews
Here you can check:
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Employee feedback
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Salary payment issues
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Work environment
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Fraud activities
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Layoff issues
If a company has 1-star ratings and multiple complaints, it may be unsafe.
✔ B) AmbitionBox Reviews
AmbitionBox gives detailed reviews from:
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Interns
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Freshers
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Ex-employees
Consistent negative reviews = warning.
✔ C) Google Reviews
Search the company name on Google Maps.
If people report fraud or scams, avoid the company.
✔ D) Consumer Court Complaints
Fake or cheating companies often have cases filed.
Sites like:
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Consumer Complaints
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Indian Consumer Forum
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National Consumer Helpline
are useful.
✔ E) LinkedIn Verification
Check the company’s:
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LinkedIn profile
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Employee list
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Office photos
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Company activity
If no real employees exist → fake company.
⭐ 4. Red Flags: Signs of Fake or Unreliable Companies
Here are the most common warning signs that a company may be unsafe:
❌ 1. Asking for money
Fake companies ask for:
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Registration fee
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Training fee
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Security deposit
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Laptop fee
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Agreement fee
No genuine company asks for money during hiring.
❌ 2. No office or fake address
If the office address does not exist or is a temporary room, avoid the company.
❌ 3. No offer letter or fake offer letter
Companies unable to give a proper offer letter may be unreliable.
❌ 4. Salary delays
Repeated salary delays show internal company problems.
❌ 5. Too many negative reviews
If 70–80% of reviews are negative, be careful.
❌ 6. Over-promised salary
Fake consultancies offer:
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Unrealistic salaries
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Guaranteed jobs
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Work-from-home without interviews
Such companies are usually frauds.
❌ 7. No online presence
A legal company always has:
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Website
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LinkedIn
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Google Maps presence
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Contact details
If none exist → not trustworthy.
⭐ 5. Government Places Where You Can Check Legal Action
Sometimes companies get penalties or warnings from the government.
Here’s where to check:
✔ MCA Activity History
Shows compliance failures or strike-off notices.
✔ EPFO (PF) Employer Portal
Shows pending dues or violations.
✔ ESIC Portal
Shows company compliance status for employees.
✔ MSME Database
Shows registration & legal details.
✔ Income Tax Notices (Rarely Public)
But some major cases appear in news.
⭐ 6. How to Verify Job Offers (Very Important)
Fake companies mainly target job seekers. Here’s how to verify:
✔ Check email domain
Official companies use:
@company.com, not @gmail.com
✔ Check HR LinkedIn profile
Real HRs have activity, connections, and proper identity.
✔ No interview = fake job
No genuine company hires without an interview.
✔ Cross-check address
Search on Google Maps.
If no office exists → scam.
⭐ 7. How Freelancers Can Check Company Reliability
Freelancers often face fake clients or unpaid projects.
Before starting work, check:
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Company website
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LinkedIn page
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Testimonials
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Business registration
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Upfront payment terms
Always take:
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30% advance
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Written contract
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Milestone-based payments
⭐ 8. What to Do If You Already Joined a Wrong Company
If you already joined a suspicious company:
✔ Document everything
Emails, messages, offer letters, salary slips.
✔ Don’t pay any money
For training or bond cancellation.
✔ Inform labour department
They can take legal action.
✔ Inform other job seekers
Leave honest reviews to protect others.
⭐ 9. Safe Job Search Practices in India
Follow these safe methods:
✔ Apply only from official portals:
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Naukri
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LinkedIn
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Indeed
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Company website
✔ Always research before joining
✔ Verify company registration
✔ Never share personal documents too early
✔ Avoid companies with “urgent hiring” or “no interview”
⭐ 10. Why Fake Companies Still Exist in India
Some reasons:
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High unemployment
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Easy creation of shell companies
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Lack of awareness
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Fake consultancies targeting freshers
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High demand for IT jobs
This is why verifying a company is extremely important.
⭐ 11. Final Summary
Checking if a company is unreliable or blacklisted in India is not difficult if you follow the right steps. You can verify everything using:
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MCA portal
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GST portal
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Glassdoor & AmbitionBox reviews
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Consumer complaint websites
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LinkedIn employee verification
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Google Maps location
Always watch out for red flags like money-demanding companies, fake job offers, unrealistic salaries, and no office address.
Your safety comes first.
Before joining any company, spend 10 minutes researching, and you can avoid months of struggle.
