Identifying Job Red Flags

Scammers impersonating me tried to scam a few. An urgent request for Apple gift card of INR 20K. Astitva Dubey was one of them. Here’s why this is worth talking about: 1. These scammers aren’t amateurs anymore. They mimic language and tone and trust. They create urgency to bypass scrutiny. 2. The effort is unreal. Fake emails & tailored messages with crisp wording. Even using publicly available details. 3. Why this matters for all of us: It doesn’t matter how “digital-savvy” you are. All it takes is one moment of oversight. The lines between genuine requests and scams are becoming increasingly blurred every day. As a founder and as a person: ✅ I will never ask you for money. ✅ No credible founder or employer will. Ever. What you can do to stay safe: - VERIFY the sender (double‑check the email address!) - PAUSE before acting when urgency is pushed hard. - REPORT anything that feels off. This is the world we live in, where scammers don’t just steal money; they try to steal trust. To anyone out there trying to use my name, or the name of any founder, to cheat people, You’re not just scamming a person. You’re poisoning an ecosystem built on trust and integrity. To my network: Stay alert. Stay skeptical. Stay safe. And if you ever spot this happening, call it out, report it, make sure no one else falls prey. We’ve worked too hard to build trust in this space. I won’t stand by quietly while someone tries to burn it down. #Trust #CyberSecurity #FraudAlert #FounderLife

McDonald’s exposed 64 million jobseekers’ data; because someone used “123456” as the password. This was a basic hygiene failure: ❌ No password security ❌ No 2FA ❌ No API access restrictions ❌ No vendor oversight Let me be direct with you… Too many companies are rushing to add AI to their hiring. But they’re skipping the fundamentals: - No one’s thinking about privacy - No one’s thinking about security - No one’s asking the hard questions about vendor risk. Here’s what happened: McDonald's used a third-party AI chatbot for recruitment. The test admin account was never disabled. No two-factor authentication. No real access controls. And in less than 30 minutes, researchers were inside the system. They pulled full names, emails, phone numbers, locations Even private chat transcripts from job seekers. 64 million people. This wasn’t some advanced cyberattack. It was a copy-paste URL and a default password. The real problem: Privacy and security are still treated as afterthoughts; Even in systems that collect sensitive personal data. And if McDonald’s can get it this wrong… What do you think is happening in businesses with no privacy team at all? It’s time to stop outsourcing risk and hoping for the best. ✔️ If you’re building with AI → bake in privacy from the beginning ✔️ If you’re using vendors → demand more than checkboxes and SLAs. ✔️ If you're leading privacy → don't assume → Verify. Because trust isn’t built with buzzwords. It’s built with discipline. If you’re serious about building trust in 2025, stop playing catch-up; Build your privacy and security programs with intention. Because next time, it could be your brand on the front page.

One of the ways people are taking advantage of jobseekers excitement in this tough job market is through scams that appear to be legitimate jobs - we've seen this happen quite a bit at Zapier, and have had folks contact us about this issue again this week. Often, they will go to great lengths to impersonate the real company, using real employee names and a similar domain. So here are some ⛳️ to look out for - please remember them, and share with your friends if you think they may be falling for a scam! 1. The domain the email comes from does not match the company's actual domain. For example, instead of zapier dot com, the email comes from zapier dot mobi or zappier dot com or something like that. 2. You are contacted about an interview for a job you didn't apply for. If you didn't apply and they claim you did, it's a scam. 3. You are contacted about a job that's a stretch or seems to good to be true. When recruiters source, they are generally looking for people that meet all the many qualifications a hiring manager has so it's unlikely they will contact someone without really relevant experience. Companies are not paying $70 an hour for someone to do data entry work from home. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. 4. The interview process takes place via skype, whatsapp, telegram, etc. and you never actually talk to anyone live before receiving an offer. Companies are not hiring people to do important work and have access to their systems without meeting them live and thoroughly vetting their qualifications. 5. Communication is coming at odd times. The person is supposedly based in the US, but is responding to your messages at midnight as an example. I've seen these scammers go to significant lengths to appear legitimate: - create LinkedIn accounts and connect with current employees so they appear to be real employees - use the names of actual employees in their communications - create websites to increase the appearance of legitimacy I think in most cases, jobseekers who fall for these scams know something is off. But they want to believe it because they are so hungry for an opportunity. My suggestion however is to take a few minutes to do some research. When in doubt, email the company (for most companies, this will be something like "jobs" or "recruiting" at company domain), or submit a concern to the company's support page so they can look into it. And if you do end up the victim of one of these scams: 1. If you set up some sort of account or gave them a password, change all your passwords. 2. If you provided any bank account or identity information, contact your bank, freeze your credit, and consider identity theft protection. 3. Contact the company being impersonated - we can at least take steps to get the fraudulent domain shut down and remove the impersonator. I really hate that this is even something jobseekers are dealing but hopefully these tips help you avoid falling victim to these scams!

Here’s 14 things that can be invisible to men in the workplace And they all involve women Men rarely notice That women are more likely To be interrupted To be on the outside of social workplace networks To be judged more harshly and punished for underperformance or mistakes To have their credentials or competence questioned or be expected to provide evidence To be promoted on previous performance rather than future potential To be negatively judged for being assertive or ambitious To be given non promotive tasks and work housework And that women are less likely To be sponsored or given similar progress opportunities To get space to contribute in meetings To be give clear, actionable feedback To be seen as deserving promotion to leadership To be given stretch projects and high profile assignments To be consider for promotive work when they are mothers To have airtime with those most senior in their organisation I can honestly say I wasn’t noticing these in my early career. A lot of my focus went on following the advice of working twice as hard, as a young Black lad from a lower socioeconomic background. My own microaggressions blurred my vision of gender biases. And if you can’t see them, and they don’t happen to you, how can you challenge them? Studies show that men’s awareness and ability to act is four times higher after they partake in allyship training which highlights gender biases and microaggressions. Suddenly they see inequity they couldn’t see before. And they can’t unsee it. The opportunities to tackle them increase, practicing the skills of allyship. Having been through that process myself I can say that taking the blindfold off is an uncomfortable reality check But it is also empowering, and makes your curious about what else you might not be seeing. A world that was black and white, suddenly was a world full of colour And this is just one of the reasons why I’m passionate about bringing allyship to organisations and stages across the country Becoming accomplices, rather than opposition Because everyone benefits when we shine a light on each others blind spots What would you add to the list?

𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭, 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 We celebrated the fall of degree requirements. We welcomed skills-based hiring with open arms. We trusted AI to make recruitment fairer. But here's the uncomfortable truth: 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. Skills-based hiring is meant to 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑. Yet, the tools powering it—AI resume screeners, video interview analyzers, "𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑡" algorithms—are often trained on biased historical data. The result? ➡️ Ageism coded into filters. ➡️ Racial bias hidden in name-matching. ➡️ Neurodivergent candidates penalized by automated “personality” scores. Amazon scrapped its AI hiring tool when it penalized resumes with the word “women.” Workday faces lawsuits over alleged AI discrimination against Black, disabled, and older applicants. And many job seekers are ghosted—rejected by machines before a human ever reads their name. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐰. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞. AI can’t be the future of hiring until we make it accountable, transparent, and human-centric. 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝: Diverse, inclusive training data Human-in-the-loop decision-making Regular audits of AI tools Legal and ethical oversight Innovation without ethics is just automation of injustice. Let’s not replace gatekeeping with ghostwriting—by robots. Do you think AI is helping or hurting fairness in hiring today? Share your thoughts. Follow Samichi Saluja for more bold takes on AI, job search strategy, and the future of work. #AIHiring #SkillsBasedHiring #RecruitmentBias #FutureOfWork #DiversityandInclusion #HRTech #ResponsibleAI #HiringFairness

“Not every job posting on LinkedIn is real. But every fake one looks convincing.” Every week, I talk to professionals who got excited about a “dream opportunity”, only to find out it was a scam. And it’s not just happening to freshers. Even experienced managers and senior leaders fall for these traps. Because today’s job scams don’t look fake anymore. They’re polished, personalized, and painfully believable. Here’s what every job seeker needs to know 👇 ⚠️ 8 Red Flags of Job Scams 1️⃣ Unrealistic Salary Offers If it sounds too good to be true, it is. A 15L package for a 2-year fresher? 🚩 Major red flag. 2️⃣ Grammatical Errors in Job Posts Legit employers review their communication. Scammers copy-paste and move fast. 3️⃣ Vague Job Descriptions If the role sounds generic, unclear, or doesn’t specify deliverables, step back and verify. 4️⃣ Early Requests for Personal Information No genuine recruiter needs your Aadhaar, PAN, or bank details before you’ve even received an offer. 5️⃣ Unusual Interview Methods Telegram, WhatsApp, or “chat-only” interviews are NOT professional hiring channels. 6️⃣ Paying for Jobs or Equipment Real companies don’t ask you to pay for training, security deposits, or joining kits. 7️⃣ No Online Presence Search the company and recruiter on LinkedIn and Google. If you can’t find a trace of them, walk away. 8️⃣ Pressure to Decide Immediately Scammers create urgency. Legit companies give you time to think, discuss, and decide. 💡 Always verify before you celebrate. Before responding to any job offer: ✅ Research the company website ✅ Check the HR’s LinkedIn profile ✅ Ask for an official company domain email (not Gmail/Yahoo) ✅ Talk to someone who already works there 🎯 Remember: Your job search should make you feel empowered , not anxious. If something feels off, trust your instincts. It’s better to lose one fake opportunity than lose your money, data, or peace of mind. 👉 If you’re job hunting and want to learn how to spot fake offers, build credibility, and attract genuine recruiters, connect with me on DM if interested. I’ll share proven visibility strategies to help you build trust and stay safe in your career journey. #JobSearch #JobScams #CareerCoach #PersonalBranding #LinkedInTips #SnehaSharmaTheCoach

Ever worked somewhere that said all the right things—but did the complete opposite? At one of my past jobs, “work-life balance” was their favourite phrase. It was in every email, every meeting, every company presentation. But if you left work on time or didn’t respond to emails at night, you were labelled lazy or not serious about your career. The message? Work-life balance was just a nice idea, not an actual practice. The disconnect between what they said and what they did eroded trust. It made people feel like they had to choose between their wellbeing and being taken seriously at work. Your brand—whether personal or company—lives in your actions, not just your words. People don’t buy into what you say; they buy into what you consistently show them. If you want to build trust, inspire your team, or lead authentically, your actions need to back your message. How can you make this happen? ✨ Lead by example: If you promote work-life balance, log off and let your team do the same. ✨ Set boundaries: Respect others' time—no “urgent” emails at midnight. ✨ Be consistent: Make sure your values show up in your behaviour every time. People are watching, and they’ll follow leaders who live what they preach. #leadershipbranding #worklifebalance

Have you ever started a job where everyone seemed to genuinely like you at first? Then, suddenly, things shift? Let me tell you about the Pet to Threat Phenomena. Initially, they valued your expertise, sought your input in meetings, and entrusted you with opportunities that supported your growth. Then, you begin to feel overlooked and disliked, and your trust diminishes. This is known as the "Pet to Threat" phenomenon. This can look like:  - Being excluded from important meetings or decisions - Having your ideas or contributions dismissed or ignored - Experiencing a sudden increase in scrutiny or criticism - Feeling isolated from your colleagues - Not receiving credit for your work or ideas - Facing resistance or hostility when you try to assert your expertise Dr. Kecia M. Thomas and a team of insightful experts helped identify this phenomenon, demonstrating how, as we gain skills and confidence, our managers, colleagues, or mentors may become indifferent. This is an experience that can impact the trajectory of your career or stifle your confidence, especially for Black women, who typically have fewer allies in the workplace. When I speak with women who experience this, their first thought is often that they could've prevented it, or they struggle to recognize it at all. Remember, your talent and skills got you to this point, and any room you enter is better because you’re there.

They told candidates the job was open. But it never was. Fake job postings are flooding the market—and they're harming everyone involved. → Imagine being a candidate. → You invest hours into applications. → Then you discover the role never existed. The frustration is real. Now, think about what it does to your employer brand when word gets out that your company posted a fake job. Trust is lost, and reputations take a hit. Here’s how fake job postings are being used: 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Companies post fake jobs to gather resumes for later. This is deceptive and wastes candidates' time. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: Some post fake jobs to study salaries and competitors. Ethical? Hardly. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Others fake hiring when they're actually downsizing. The damage to trust? Enormous. As HR professionals, we need to lead the charge in stopping this harmful practice. Here’s how: ✅ 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Ensure every job posted is real and actively hiring. Align closely with hiring managers to verify postings. ✅ 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Explain the risks of fake postings. Highlight the legal issues and damage to reputation. Stress that short-term gains aren't worth the long-term fallout. ✅ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Review open jobs on your careers page and job boards. Remove any that are no longer active to maintain integrity. ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Be clear about timelines, expectations, and next steps. Transparency builds trust, even when candidates don’t get the job. The job market is tough enough without adding unnecessary challenges. If you agree, share this post with your network. ♻️ I appreciate 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 repost. #Adamshr #Hrprofessionals #humanresources #HR Stephanie Adams, SPHR

Heads up to anyone job searching: there's a scam going around that I want to flag to help others avoid falling for it. A profile named Patrick Roche is claiming to be a "Principal Recruiter" Capital One, using a photo of what appears to be an older gentleman. But the activity and messaging are clear red flags. Here’s what they’re sending out — word-for-word — to hundreds of people: "I believe your background aligns well with an open position at Capital One. If you're interested, please reach out to my colleague at coryhy4@gmail.com as soon as possible, as the role will be closing soon. Make sure to include your resume and mention the specific position you're applying for, as my colleague is managing the hiring process. Wishing you the best in your job search!" A few things that make it obvious this is a scam: •The message creates false urgency by saying the role is closing soon — a common tactic to get people to act fast without thinking. •They're pasting the exact same message in comment sections across LinkedIn — I saw over 30 in one thread in just 30 minutes. •The profile has only 1 connection. That’s not always a red flag, but for someone claiming to be a senior recruiter, it definitely raises suspicion. •Most importantly: the message directs people to a Gmail address. No legitimate recruiter at Capital One would have candidates apply through a personal email account. Ever. If this seems obvious to you, great — but not everyone is as savvy, especially those who are stressed or urgently job hunting. It only takes one person to fall for something like this. If you're contacted by this profile, do not respond. Do not send your resume or any information. It's not real, and it's not safe. Capital One — someone is impersonating your brand and misleading job seekers. I hope this gets flagged and removed soon. Everyone else — stay sharp and double-check every message you get. Scams like this are unfortunately becoming more common!