Ever heard of LinkedIn scams that promise a high-paying dream job, only to realize later that it was a scam? Unfortunately, job scams are a common occurrence on the professional networking platform, and due to desperate job market conditions, many unsuspecting individuals fall for them every day. If you have come across these kinds of scams, or if you believe you’ve been scammed already, we will walk you through how to deal with them efficiently. First, let’s define what LinkedIn is.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a social networking platform catered towards professionals seeking to network, job hunt, or hire talent. While LinkedIn has many legitimate users and has become widely known globally, scams and fraudulent activity have been increasing dramatically.
Are there Scams on LinkedIn?
Yes, there are LinkedIn scams. Here are the most recent LinkedIn scams:
- Fake Job Offers: Fake LinkedIn profiles posing as recruiters, employees, or employers that aim to steal your personal information or request the victim to pay an upfront fee for training
- Phishing: LinkedIn messages with harmful links that steal your sensitive information or install malware on your device
- Lucrative Business Deals: Scammers ask users to pay an advance fee upfront
How Scammers Use LinkedIn
If you’re suddenly bombarded with numerous job offers after updating your LinkedIn profile, it could be because you are an incredible candidate, but it’s also possible that scammers are trying to take advantage of your increased visibility. Oftentimes scammers will create fake job postings and tailor them to their victims. These scams usually involve a fake job opening or an offer to work from home for a significant salary. Once you take the bait, scammers collect your personal information, ask you to pay for a background check, or other expenses.
Job Scam Red Flags: Things to Look Out For
LinkedIn has a dedicated search team that investigates job postings for potential scams, proactively removing over 87.1 million spam or scam content in the last year, but it is important that you are equipped with the knowledge to protect yourself if you ever come across a suspicious posting.
- Unrealistic Job Descriptions: If a job posting offers exceptionally high salaries, minimal work hours, or guaranteed success without much effort, it’s likely too good to be true. Scammers often use unrealistic offers to lure victims with descriptions like, “work from home and earn $5,000 a month.” We wish.
- Unprofessional Communication: If a job posting lacks specific details about the company, the job role, and responsibilities or has a lot of grammatical errors, this is not a good sign. Legitimate employers typically provide clear and comprehensive job descriptions and have several requirements to remain compliant in their communication with prospective employees.
- Only Communicate Through Chat: If your entire interview process has been conducted digitally, that may be a sign of a scam. A common interview chat app used is Wire. If you never get a video call or in-person interview, ask for one to verify the job is legitimate.
- No Company Information: Be cautious if the job posting does not mention the company’s name or provides a generic name. The recruiter may say it is to protect their commission, but it could be a way to fake a job offer without having to reveal that there is no real company behind it. Research the company and ensure it’s a legitimate organization before proceeding.
- Personal Email Addresses: Some scammers claim to be with recognizable companies but are contacting you from their personal email addresses. Any legitimate recruiter will contact you from a corporate email address, never Gmail, Yahoo, or other free personal email addresses.
- No Interview Required: If a job offer is presented without any interview process or evaluation of your skills and they are pressuring you to make decisions very quickly, it could be a sign of a scam. Or maybe you’re just a superhero?
- Request for Personal Information: Be wary of job postings that ask for personal information like Social Security numbers, bank account details, or copies of identification documents at the application stage. Legitimate employers typically don’t require this information upfront, and disclosing this information can make you a target for identity theft or future phishing scams.
- Requesting Money Upfront: Legitimate employers will never ask you to send money to acquire a job. If you’re being asked to send money to cover starting costs, fees, an initial investment, inventory, or anything else, walk away.
*Too good to be true
How To Protect Yourself From LinkedIn Job Scams
- Do your research: Research the company and the individuals you’re interacting with. Look for official company websites and verify their legitimacy.
- Protect your personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive information too early in the application process.
- Trust your instincts: If something feels off or too good to be true, it’s likely worth investigating further or walking away.
- Report suspicious activity: Use LinkedIn’s reporting features to flag suspicious profiles, job postings, or messages.
What To Do If You Fell For A LinkedIn Job Scam
Since these scams are increasing with the rise of fully remote work, mistakes can happen. If you have fallen victim to a job scam, follow these steps to protect your assets and minimize damage:
- Report and Block on LinkedIn: You can report scammer messages directly to LinkedIn customer service so they can remove them immediately.
- Report Pay-Forwarding Scam: If you sent any time of wire transfer, contact your bank and your local Secret Service agent to alert them of wire fraud and potential international fraud. If you sent this “willingly,” it is unlikely you’ll be able to get your money back, but if the money is drained from your account without your action, then your claim is valid.
- Close Bank Accounts: If the scammers have your wire transfer information, they may be able to access the rest of your assets. Consider closing these accounts to ensure security.
- File a Police Report: If you were a victim of any type of fraud in this process, report it immediately to your local law enforcement by recording the company name, contact email, job posting, and any other evidence you have for the authorities to use in their investigation.
- Change Passwords: Take note of all the accounts associated with the scam and make sure to change the passwords to these accounts so scammers do not get access.
- Check Your Credit Report: If you provided your sensitive personal information, such as your social security number, check your credit report for unrecognized activity or new accounts opened in your name.
- Monitor Your Data: Check if your information is exposed on data broker websites where scammers can see and exploit it. (Use Hogo to request removal with a single swipe)
If you need an expert to identify a scam, use Hogo’s ScamAssist tool to further investigate potential scams.
Remember that scammers are continually evolving their tactics, so staying vigilant and cautious while using online platforms is essential to avoid falling victim to scams. By looking for red flags, researching the employer, and verifying the job offer, you can increase your chances of spotting and avoiding job scams. Remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always do your due diligence before sharing any personal information or accepting a job offer on LinkedIn. Don’t worry. You’ll find the job of your dreams soon!