Inside refEngine's 4-Layer Referrer Verification System

Fake referrers are the single biggest risk in any referral marketplace — a candidate who pays for a "referral" from someone who doesn't actually work at the company gets nothing. Here's exactly how we make sure that never happens on refEngine.

Layer 1: Corporate Email OTP

Every referrer verifies with a one-time password sent to their official company email address — think @google.com, not a personal Gmail. This is the first and simplest filter, and it eliminates the majority of bad actors immediately.

Layer 2: LinkedIn Cross-Matching

We cross-check the company, title, and team a referrer claims against their public LinkedIn profile. Mismatches — someone claiming a senior title their profile doesn't support, for example — are automatically flagged for manual review before the account is approved.

Layer 3: Optional Employee ID Review

For high-demand companies, referrers can go a step further and upload an employee ID for manual review by our trust and safety team. This unlocks a "Premium Verified" badge that candidates can filter for in the marketplace.

Layer 4: Ongoing Activity Monitoring

Verification isn't a one-time check. Referrer accounts are continuously monitored for suspicious patterns — accepting an unusual volume of requests, declining without reason, or candidate misuse reports — and flagged accounts are suspended pending review.

Why This Matters For You

Every layer exists so that when you send a referral request, you're not gambling — you're working with someone who has been confirmed, multiple times over, to actually be who they say they are.