Avoid this scam: The fraudcruiter
If you’re on the hunt for a new job — or even if you’re not — you’re probably familiar with online recruiters and how they operate.
Typically, you’ll get an email or LinkedIn message with details of a job opportunity that seems to suit your resume or interests. Since job-hunting can be exhausting, it’s understandable that you’d feel a ray of hope when perfect strangers sing your praises in seemingly random messages. Instead of having to research, apply, and tailor your resume yet again, someone is doing the most challenging part for you and allegedly giving you an opportunity on a silver platter.
However, it’s not always that simple, and, in some cases, it can be downright dangerous. While there certainly are legitimate recruiters whose job is to scour LinkedIn and other platforms for top-notch talent, there are also plenty of scammers preying on vulnerable people. Companies have even published guides on their websites that warn of scams involving people pretending to recruit for them.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” says Jonathan Silverman, a lead recruiter at Atlas Search.
But how do you differentiate between a “fraudcruiter” and a legitimate one? How do you know when something really is too good to be true? And what are the dangers of falling for a recruiting scam?
Fraudcruiter scams: The risks
A fraudcruiter may ask you to pay a fee for their services. Samorn Selim, the CEO of Career Unicorns, says one common scam involves someone sending an email pretending to be a legitimate recruiter with a job prospect. The fake recruiter asks you to take an exam to see if you’re qualified. So what’s the catch? You have to pay for the exam. Selim says some people end up paying application processing fees or for fake training classes to prepare for the exam, which, of course, doesn’t exist.
“Usually, the money is what they're after most,” says Don Aviv, president of Interfor International, a security consulting firm. Whether it's a payment from you or whether they can hack into your bank accounts or your systems because you've given them too much information.”
“If the recruiter is asking for you to provide some type of payment for their service, they are probably not legitimate. Recruiter fees are typically paid by the companies who they’re working with. The vast majority of recruiters will help you find the right job at no cost to you,” says Silverman.
Another potential risk for engaging with fraudcruiters is identity theft. Aviv and Selim cited instances where these faux recruiters asked for highly personal information — such as a Social Security number — and then used that information to steal someone’s identity.
How to spot the scam
The first place to start is a simple background check.
If a recruiter has reached out to you, “definitely check the email to see if it’s a legitimate email. Generally, if someone is using a free account like Yahoo or Gmail, that typically [means] they’re not associated with the company,” says Selim.
Consider this scam email provided to Chegg Life by the recipient on the condition of anonymity:
Note the email address at the top — it’s from a Yahoo account. The Yahoo address is also different from the address in the call to action at the bottom of the email — another red flag.
Selim suggests sifting through the recruiter’s personal LinkedIn profile, assuming they have one. A legitimate recruiter should be “connected to at least 500 people — otherwise, they aren’t able to do their jobs.” After you’ve checked to see if the recruiter is legit, look into the company they claim to represent. Selim recommends using Glassdoor, a job site that allows people to rate and give information on places they’ve worked. If the company’s Glassdoor profile contains several reviews — or, more tellingly, none at all — it’s time to move on.
There are other things to consider when you’re wondering if your recruiter is trying to scam you.
Are they willing to talk to you?
Selim says that before sending any materials to the recruiter, ask to hop on a call with them to “see what they're like and if they sound like a real person.”. If they’re not willing to chat, it’s probably not a good sign. If they do agree to a call, ask them to give you a better grasp of the company they claim to represent and the job they’re trying to fill.
Do they want your personal information?
There’s absolutely no reason why a recruiter would need your Social Security number, cell phone number, home address, driver’s license, credit card number or your mother’s maiden name. Selim says that unless this recruiter is working with a temp agency, they typically don’t need any of this personal information — and certainly not before you’ve had an interview.
Selim says that now with the proliferation of remote work, there’s no real need to have too many identifying details on your resume or LinkedIn profile. You can simply state the city and state you work in and use a Google Voice number instead of a cell phone number for protection.
What to do if you fall for a scam
If you’ve fallen for one of these fraudcruiter scams, you should act quickly. According to Aviv, there are a few things you can do immediately:
If you have enough information regarding the fraudulent recruiter, file a police report.
Block these recruiters on social media platforms.
Report the fraudcruiter’s profile to social media platforms.
Put a “fraud watch” on your credit card.
If you suspect they hacked your email account, shut it down.
Selim says job-seekers tend to be most vulnerable to recruiting scams when they are eager to get a new job. And the pressure to find remote work during the pandemic has made some people more willing to look for easy solutions.
“When you're in that negative mental space, you're more susceptible to making risky decisions,” says Selim.
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