Thanks for joining this very special edition of the podcast. Several of my industry colleagues in the career field recounted their experiences of being spoofed (or duped) by bad actors.
Jay Jones, co-host of the podcast, moderated this panel entitled “Hijacked Identities: How to Protect Your Brand and Job Seekers from Scams,” which was streamed as a LinkedIn Live event. Each participant gave me permission to share their panel with you on the podcast.
If you would rather see the video, you can check it out on LinkedIn.
Each of them recounts their collective experiences with similar feelings or horror and disbelief:
Bad actors used their reputations and credentials to lure victims into fake and deceitful offers.
The spoofing had a widespread effect on multiple platforms, including LinkedIn and Fiverr.
The emotional toll and the ongoing effort required to protect their reputation and intellectual property are hard.
Melissa, Jessica, and Erin all became urgent in their responses once they realized bad actors had fooled a few people enough to question what they saw.
Here are some highlights:
The first part is a presentation by Jay, providing an overview of his findings on investigating fake jobs and profiles.
Each panelist agrees vigilance is essential, as platforms can only do so much.
Erin points out the prevalence of content theft and the escalation to direct impersonation.
Melissa emphasizes the vulnerability of job seekers and the lengths scammers go to exploit them.
Jay stated scams can erode trust in professionals. They already make the job market more difficult.
The panel agrees and emphasizes the importance of due diligence, including verifying job postings and recruiters.
They also highlight common red flags, including requests to leave LinkedIn, use of Gmail addresses, overly flattering messages, and requests for personal details.
Finally…
I wanted to ensure that the companies I partner with for ‘The Job Scam Report’ were a good fit. The FBI reports Americans are losing significantly more to cybercrime than home burglaries, with digital crime financial losses reaching approximately $12.5 billion in 2023 alone.
Job search strategy and safety should be top of mind for all job seekers.
I’m happy to announce that “Aura’s All-in-One Online Safety is an affiliate of “The Job Scam Report.” It’s powered by AI to help protect your identity, finances, and devices proactively. With $1M Identity Theft Insurance and 24/7, U.S.-based expert support, you can job search with little worry of protecting your computer and personal information.
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