How to Spot Fake Job Interviews

WORD OF WARNING JOB SEEKERS! A dear friend of mine was recently contacted by someone presenting as a recruiter about a role with a well-known software company. He provided very specific details — the role, company, salary, and benefits. He even boasted that the candidates he puts forward “always get interviews” because he prescreens their references and submits both the resume and the references to the client. Trusting the process, she provided several references. Soon after, all of those contacts received calls — not about her candidacy, but with sales pitches for the recruiter’s services. Here’s what she uncovered: there was no job. When she called the company directly, they confirmed they weren’t hiring for that role and had never heard of his recruiting firm. She documented everything with screenshots and reported him to LinkedIn. Red flags to watch for: • Requests for multiple references before you’ve had any interview or confirmation of candidacy. • A recruiter who emphasizes “prescreening” or “special access” to gain your trust. The job market is challenging enough without tactics like this. Sharing this as a reminder to all candidates: protect your network, and trust your instincts.

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!

Fake jobs. Real consequences If you're job searching, stay alert. Scammers are targeting candidates with fake offers that look convincing and it’s happening more often than you think. Common red flags to watch for: ❌You're offered a job without an interview. ❌The recruiter uses a personal email (like Gmail or Outlook). ❌You're asked to buy equipment or software with a promise of reimbursement. ❌They won’t meet via video or provide verifiable company details. ❌You're asked for sensitive information early on, banking, ID numbers, etc. Legitimate employers will never: ✔️Ask for money during the hiring process. ✔️Rush you to make a decision. ✔️Avoid video calls or hide behind vague job descriptions. What you can do: ✅ Research the company and recruiter. ✅ Verify job postings on the official company website. ✅ Be cautious with unsolicited messages or offers that feel “too easy”. ✅ Talk to someone you trust before taking action. Job scams exploit stress and urgency. Take your time, ask questions, and protect your personal information. Share this and potentially help someone else avoid it. #JobSearch #JobScams #CareerTips #HiringFraud #StaySafe

Applicants - scammers will try to get you to engage by posing as recruiters. You can do a couple of things to avoid being a victim. Look at the email address. Is it a company email address or a personal email address? See if the recruiter has a LI profile. Can you tell they work for the company by looking at connections, posts, etc. Do they have just a few connections - does it look like a brand new profile. If someone reaches out to you on Facebook as an example, did they just create a profile? Most companies won't offer to send you a check to buy equipment. This is a common scam. They do one interview (sometimes more), then they make an offer. They mail you a check to buy equipment, you cash it as it appears legit. They then will contest the check and the bank withdraws money from your account. You might have even given notice to a current job for a non existent job. While the company itself may exist, the job and the recruiter did not. If something seems fishy, reach out to the company to verify the employee exists. Check their career site to see if you can find the job listed. Hope this helps, if anyone has other tips to avoid being scammed, please share. We need to protect those looking for work.

Job scams increased by 118% last year according to HRD America. I see employment fraud plaguing online job boards including LinkedIn targeting one of our most vulnerable populations – job seekers. Sadly, fake job postings have resulted in hundreds of wasted hours for my clients and others who are enticed by the seemingly perfect job. It can happen to anyone. My best friend, who I consider to be one of the smartest people I know (she has her Masters and is currently pursuing a PhD), got duped last year due to a highly sophisticated and professional hiring process. Common indications of a fake job opening include: -All interactions are over the phone or virtual conferencing, without the camera on. -The position is 100% remote. -The salary and expense reimbursement seem too good to be true. -All communication is through one recruiter who, despite your lack of experience and expertise, thinks that you are a great fit for the job. -They indicate that they are an internal or external recruiter for a company that has a website and LinkedIn company page. -The company has no working phone # associated with it. -The recruiter will not give you their phone number. If you suspect a job opening is a scam, here are some things you can do to validate the authenticity of the position. -Ask the recruiter for their phone number. If they don’t give it to you, you’ve got your answer. -Call the phone # on the contact page of their website. If the voicemail is wonky and you try and try again, but no one answers, you’ve got yourself a job scam. -Google the company name to see if other people are reporting them as illegitimate. Finally, prevent anyone else from being sucked into a fake job by reporting it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov #jobsearchtips #jobseeking

"Be Careful." This is something I said to my kids when they were going to cross the street. Or when they are driving home after dark. We tell people to 'be careful' when they travel, or go on a date with someone new, or even when they are handling a sharp object. Like my new puppy with his dangerously sharp baby teeth 😗 . But lately, I am cautioning job seekers to 'be careful.' Sketchy jobs. Sketchier recruiters. Requests for personal information before you even know what the job is. Most people have the sense or instinct to refuse to provide information or engage in conversations when something feels 'off.' But I am seeing these requests getting more and more sophisticated, so even the most cautious and skeptical of job seekers are getting caught up in deceit. So, be careful out there. Lots of people are willing to take advantage of job seekers who are feeling desperate, frustrated or vulnerable. HUGE Red flags.... 1. If anyone asks you to purchase equipment for a remote job, then provide your bank account so they can reimburse you....scam. 2. If more than one recruiters reaches out to you for the same job, they don't work for the hiring company, they are independent recruiters trying to use YOU to get their foot in the door....scam. 3. If you are asked for your social security number, bank statement, W-2 or any other financial information, it's a scam. 4. If you receive a note or communication and there are grammar, spelling or language errors, it's not legitimate. 5. If someone is offering an insanely high salary range right off the bat, it's a scam. 6. If you are being asked to pay a fee for training or onboarding, it's a scam. 7. If an email you receive only includes contact by email and not a phone number, probably a scam. 8. If you can't find any employees of the company on LinkedIn, they probably don't exist. 9. If you are asked to interview through a messaging app, video (with no one on the other side) or by some other tool that doesn't include real live contact, it's a scam. 10. If you get an immediate job offer after a short interview, it's not legit. So be careful out there. A job search these days can be more dangerous than driving your car down a snowy mountain with bald tires. #jobsearch #resumewriting #becareful

🛑 Job Scams Are on the Rise—Stay Vigilant! I’ve been hearing more and more about job seekers falling victim to scams, and the numbers are alarming: ↳ In 2024, there were over $220 million reported losses in just the first six months ↳ Job scams tripled from 2020 to 2023 ↳ Job scams ranked among the top 10 fraud cases reported to the FTC. ✅ Red Flags to Watch Out For: ↳ Sketchy email accounts. ↳ Instant job offers without proper interviews. ↳ Entire interviews conducted via text. ✅ Protect Yourself: ↳ Research: Verify the company and recruiter before sharing personal info. ↳ Double-Check: Cross-reference job postings on official company websites. ↳ Trust Your Gut: If something feels off, it probably is. ↳ No Payments: Legitimate employers never ask for money upfront. Have you spotted any suspicious job postings or recruiters lately? Drop your story in the comments👇 Let’s help each other stay safe out there! #JobScams #CareerAdvice