Beware of fake job offers
A €500k job offer lands in your LinkedIn inbox. The company is real. The role fits. The recruiter is connected to people you know. So - would you take the call?
🔥 I now regularly receive LinkedIn messages about well-paid roles. Some are obviously dubious. Others are much better crafted: the role broadly fits my profile, the company exists, the compensation looks plausible, and the recruiter is connected to people from my own professional network.
⚠️ That is exactly what makes them dangerous.
💡 In one recent case, I noticed that the supposed recruiter was connected to several colleagues from the crypto/legal space. That creates trust - but it may just as well mean that the same professional group is being targeted systematically.
👉 So this is what I do by now:
1. Verify the person, not just the job.
A real company and even a real vacancy prove very little. I try to find an independent contact at the company and simply ask: Is this person actually instructed to recruit for you?
Plus: The single most useful question is "show me your corporate email." A legitimate recruiter answers in seconds. A scammer changes the subject.
2. Never run a “quick fix” during a call or to open a shared document
If Zoom, Teams or the microphone supposedly does not work, switch device or dial in by phone. ❗ Do not install software, run Terminal commands, paste scripts, add browser extensions or change security settings.
The same applies to password protected documents where the shared password does not work: Do not apply the suggested fix to this problem but ask for other means of sharing content with you instead.
Fake recruitment interviews and shared documents are now being used to deploy malware designed to steal passwords and crypto-wallet information.
3. Use a low-value device for the first call where possible.
An iPad or separate device is perfectly sufficient. A genuine recruiter does not need administrative access to any work computer.
The important shift in times of deep fake:
- Stop trying to decide whether someone looks genuine based on language, a polished LinkedIn profile or even a video call. That is becoming increasingly unreliable.
- Instead, use a process that remains safe even if the person on the other side is highly convincing.
No genuine recruiter should be offended nowadays because I independently verify their mandate. It should rather become the new normal.
(Text and image created with AI assistance, reviewed, edited, and approved by the human author)
