With the rise of online job boards, remote work, and professional networking sites like LinkedIn, it's becoming easier for job seekers to do their entire job search online. Unfortunately, this also means that scammers are taking advantage of the influx of remote jobs by posing as big tech companies and depriving interviewees of personal information, including their bank accounts. Anyone who uses online job search websites should be careful to avoid potential scams. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says this scam works when a person receives a LinkedIn message from an alleged recruiter.
Potential victim is encouraged to apply for a job. After uploading a resume, the victim is asked to provide personal information ranging from their address to their social security number. Company names and logos can be stolen. A legitimate recruiter will contact you using a business email, not a Gmail or Yahoo account.
Look up the person's name on LinkedIn and check first-degree connections to see if they're related to other company employees. The focus of LinkedIn social engineering scams generally revolves around fake job offers. The scam involves the criminal agent creating a false profile, posing as a recruiter or senior member of management at a hiring company, and offering users a job. Employers should also advocate for special training to detect fake LinkedIn profiles and employment scams as part of their cybersecurity training.If you're applying for remote jobs where you won't be visiting employers face-to-face, don't provide direct deposit information until you've signed a job offer.
Criminals impersonate LinkedIn members through phishing emails, sending what appear to be legitimate inquiries about job offers or other networking opportunities.Undoubtedly, most job seekers and recruiters will turn to LinkedIn in the hope of finding the right candidate. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), one of the main signs of an online employment scam is that you are being asked to pay to start the job. However, in some cases, phishing is more precisely aimed at professionals with active LinkedIn profiles who may be in the labor market; this is often referred to as spear-phishing or whaling.If the salary is much higher than you'd expect, chances are you've discovered one of the many fake jobs on LinkedIn. Most legitimate job descriptions usually list the benefits of a position, but fake job offers have an unnecessarily long list.As an employer or potential job applicant, there are some practical things you can do to keep yourself more secure on the LinkedIn platform.
Be wary of any messages that seem suspicious or too good to be true. If someone contacts you with an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don't provide any personal information until you've verified that the company is legitimate and that the offer is real.It's important to remember that scammers are always looking for new ways to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. By being aware of these common scams and taking steps to protect yourself, you can help ensure that your job search remains safe and secure.
Leave Reply