Unmasking LinkedIn Scams: How to Protect Yourself in the Job Hunt

By Raquel Santos

You’re scrolling through LinkedIn when you see it—the perfect job. High salary, full remote, no experience needed. You apply, get a quick interview, and suddenly… they ask for your bank details to “process your work equipment.” Sounds sketchy? It is!

With LinkedIn being the #1 platform for job seekers, scammers are taking advantage. Let’s uncover the most common LinkedIn job scams and how to stay safe while job hunting.

In 2023 alone, LinkedIn blocked or removed over 121 million fake accounts, all of which were trying to reach end users. This raises significant concerns for job seekers and professionals alike.

IT professionals are particularly vulnerable to LinkedIn job scams. After a huge layoff wave in the tech industry in 2024, IT workers find themselves in more need for work than ever and are almost forced to trust even the most shady “opportunities”.

To successfully detect and avoid job scams, it is imperative to fully understand them. In this article, we’ll be focusing on unmasking LinkedIn job scams, teaching you how to spot them, and giving you some tips on how to protect yourself from them, so that you can experience a better job-hunting experience on the platform.

Most Common Types of LinkedIn Job Scams

There’s a wide variety of job scams online. However, a few of them are particular to LinkedIn because of the platform’s format. Some of the most common types of LinkedIn job scams include:

Phishing Scams

In a LinkedIn phishing scam, fake recruiters will reach out to unsuspecting victims to try and obtain sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, bank account details, or login credentials.

Scammers can use different tactics to achieve their phishing goals. They can simply ask unsuspecting IT professionals for their information with the excuse of putting together a contract, redirecting them to a fake website that resembles a genuine company portal, or even requesting that they download malicious software as part of the interviewing process.

Fake Job Listings

– Scammers create job posts that seem too good to be true. Watch out for:

Unrealistic perks – High salary, remote work, zero experience required.
Fast-tracked hiring – No real interview process, just a chat app conversation.
Requests for money – Payment for training, equipment, or onboarding.
Sensitive data collection – They ask for your ID, bank details, or Social Security number.

Within the IT professionals pool, some are more susceptible to fake job listings than others. Job seekers who just finished their studies and are searching for their first opportunity, or even professionals who want to switch careers and are desperately trying to find a paid job in their new field are more easily targeted by these scams, as they might not necessarily know what to look for.

Considering their new arrival into the IT scene, these candidates should try to look for entry-level positions to get situated. Openings as trainees, professional internships, or even IT support positions might be best to begin with.

It’s also important to be aware of how much you should expect to earn depending on the IT position you’re applying for. Check out KWAN’s Salary Calculator and see if you’re either getting a fair wage or if you’re being played.

Data Harvesting and Lead Generation

Another type of job scam commonly found on LinkedIn includes data harvesting from received resumes. Here, scammers collect IT candidate CVs to attempt identity theft or to sell personal information to third parties.

Certain businesses also use this tactic for lead generation, in which they gather contact details for future spamming marketing efforts.

Company Image Boost

Some companies post job listings that aren’t real hires but are meant to build an employer brand, attract investors, or gauge interest. While not always outright scams, these misleading job posts waste applicants’ time and should be flagged.

A study by Resume Builder showed that 4 in 10 companies posted a fake job listing last year. Of said companies, approximately 26% posted one to three fake job listings, 19% posted five, 19% posted 10, 11% posted 50, 10% posted 25, and 13% posted 75 or more.

Pyramid Schemes

Certain companies seem truly legit, with great job opportunities, but it all might be an actual pyramid scheme. In these job scams, it’s not the selling of a product (which sometimes doesn’t even exist) that matters. It’s all about recruiting and investing.

Scammers will try recruiting you with the promise of receiving large amounts of money, as long as you work hard. However, once you’re tricked into accepting the job, you’ll quickly realize that the only way to get paid is to become a recruiter yourself, scamming other people into investing in your “business”.

How to Detect IT Job Scams on LinkedIn

To detect potential IT job scams on LinkedIn there are a few things you should be on the lookout for. Some of the most common indicators that a job opportunity, recruiter, or company might be fake include:

🚩Red Flag: The job description is vague or generic.
- Legit job posts clearly state the role, responsibilities, and qualifications.
- Scam job posts are often intentionally vague to attract a wide range of applicants.

💰 Too Good to Be True Salaries.
- Entry-level job but €100K salary? 🚩 That’s a scam. If an offer promises huge pay for minimal effort, it’s likely fake.
🚩 Grammar Errors
- Scam job posts often contain typos, weird phrasing, or grammar mistakes.
- Legit companies invest in professional communication, so job descriptions should be clear and polished.
Request for upfront payments or personal info. Never pay to get a job! Watch out for fake companies that might send you invoices to purchase equipment, software, or training material for your supposed role. Once they get your money, they’ll simply disappear. The same goes for personal information. Sensitive information such as social security numbers, bank account details, or copies of official identification documents aren’t normally necessary until later on in the hiring process.

No professional website or contact information. Legitimate tech companies strive to have an established online presence, with professional websites and social media accounts, as well as legitimate contact information. Noticing that this is missing from a LinkedIn job listing should always raise your suspicions.

Tips on How to Protect Yourself From LinkedIn Fraudulent Offers

By now, you may have understood that LinkedIn IT job scams are a very prominent and concerning matter. However, there are a few steps that you can take to protect yourself and avoid falling victim to them:

Conduct thorough research on the company offering the job. It’s important to verify if the company has a legit online presence, a reputable website, and authentic contact information.
If you’re directly contacted by a recruiter, make sure to examine their profile. Take a close look at their connections and see if they have any recommendations. Also, be on the lookout for (and suspect) newly created or incomplete profiles.

Protect your personal information and avoid sharing it until you’re 100% certain that you’re applying for a real job within a real company.
Ask for recommendations from your LinkedIn connections. Reach out to your network and see if they know the company that’s recruiting and have any insights that might help you make an informed decision.
Report any suspicious listings using LinkedIn’s “Report” feature as it might help protect other unsuspecting users from falling victim to job scams. Make sure to gather as much evidence as possible of the scam, including screenshots and any communication with the scammer, and contact LinkedIn support by using the Report a Possible Scam form.