How job candidates are falling for scams. A cautionary tale…

By James Turnbull, Account Executive The job market today is more digital than ever, and while it offers convenience, it’s also becoming a goldmine for cybercriminals. If you’ve been job hunting lately, chances are you’ve been completing most steps over the phone or Zoom (if your Wi-Fi doesn’t betray you, of course). But what happens when the job you think you applied for never existed? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to my friend Adam last month. One of the biggest issues with online applications and ‘easy apply’ features is losing track of where you’ve sent your resume. Adam found himself in this exact situation when he received an email congratulating him on making it to the first stage of a job with a reputable agency in London. The email seemed flawless; addressed from a real employee whose profile we even checked on LinkedIn. But there was one tiny catch we missed at first: the email format was off by a single letter. No red flags yet—until the second email arrived. The scammer requested he complete a highly technical task before the screening interview that would take several hours and was technically challenging, even for a man of Adams skill! Adam wasn’t suspicious, despite this unusual request, and spent his weekend diligently working on it. Upon completing the task, which Adam went above and beyond on to stand out from the crowd, he uploaded to a Google drive and filled in a quick form which asked for his name, date of birth and email. Having submitted, Adam waited patiently for a week, then two. Finally, Adam reached out to a member of the HR team only to be told that there was no job. The whole thing was a scam that Adam and others had fallen for. Adam and I were left to question what the motives were of the scammer. Was he looking for candidates’ personal information? If so, the scammer only took Adams personal email, D.O.B and name. Hardly earth shattering. Maybe the scammer was trying to trick someone into completing their work for them. If so, they were willing to complete some heavy-duty fraud to pull off this elaborate con. The rise of cybercrime in the job market highlights how easily desperation can lead to deception. Scammers prey on those eager for new opportunities, and online processes make it easier for them to strike. Always double-check company communications, verify emails, and be wary of tasks or requests that feel off. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and reach out to the company directly. In today’s digital-first world, a little scepticism can go a long way toward protecting yourself from these sophisticated schemes. As the job market continues to evolve with AI-generated CVs, deepfake interviews, and more, both interviewers and job seekers need to stay vigilant. Face-to-face interviews might seem old-fashioned, but they’re also a great way to ensure that the job—and the employer—are real.