Job scams, in which cyber criminals falsely purport to be recruiters from legitimate companies, are an emerging threat to businesses and job seekers alike. In fact, the FTC has classified job scams as one of the fastest-growing types of scams. In the first half of 2024 alone, scammers using this method of fraud stole $220 million from American consumers.
Industry titans like eBay and Amazon have been impersonated in job scams, with cyber criminals creating false job listings for those companies. Bad actors often impersonate trusted brands because potential clients are more likely to believe the scam is real.
Typically, these cyber criminals mimic the hiring process, with the end goal of tricking people into paying money upfront. This often looks like instructing victims to send funds for the purchase of computer equipment after they believe they have received a job offer.
When a brand is impersonated in a job scam, it can damage a business’ reputation and trust. Duped consumers may hold the brand that was impersonated responsible for their lost money and time, despite the fact that the business is also a victim of the fraud.
How Brands are Impersonated in Job Scams
When engaging in job scams, cybercriminals invest in creating a persuasive experience that mirrors a legitimate hiring process. Let’s start at the beginning of a scam, explaining step-by-step how unsuspecting targets are convinced to hand over their financial information.
Brian saw a job posting on LinkedIn that seemed like an ideal fit for him: a software engineer at Apple. Thrilled by the idea of working for such a well-respected company, Brian sent his resume to the email listed in the ad.
Not long after submitting the job application, Brian was delighted to receive a WhatsApp message from someone identifying themselves as an Apple recruiter. The recruiter had a profile picture featuring Apple’s logo, leading Brian to believe he was really interacting with a company representative.
Brian had a Zoom interview for the position, which seemed to go well, and he was excited to receive an email formally offering him a job at Apple. The email included official Apple trademarks and brand content, appearing to be legitimate communication from the industry giant.
There was just one problem: because Brian was to start working remotely, he had to send Apple $3,000 upfront for the purchase of his computer, mouse, and other equipment. The recruiter promised that Brian would be reimbursed, with the funds added to his first paycheck. Eager to begin working, Brian gave the recruiter his credit card details….and communication suddenly stopped.
Sadly, Brian’s story is typical of those who fall victim to job scams. Cybercriminals use the names of companies with high business profiles in order to lure job seekers into fake interviews or job offers.
These scams can happen over text messages and WhatsApp, as well as recruitment channels like job boards or LinkedIn.
Oftentimes, the scammers stage an interview process and then ask for money upon a job offer. This is usually disguised as arranging equipment purchases for a remote working setup.
Beacon Hill, a large US staffing firm, recently had its name used in online job scams. Scammers claimed to be representatives from Beacon Hill on Upwork, a well-known freelancing platform.
The scam became so prevalent that Beacon Hill publicly released information to educate candidates about how to spot fraudulent job listings.
They also provided various examples of how their brand was impersonated online including with fake Facebook pages and LinkedIn accounts.
Best Practices for Employers to Avoid Job Scams
There are a number of steps businesses can take to avoid their brand being used in recruitment scams.
1) Monitor Job Listings
You should regularly review popular job sites, including LinkedIn and Indeed, for brand impersonation in postings. Continuous monitoring is key to ensuring that no fraudulent postings slip through the cracks.
2) Direct Job Seekers to Your Official Website
When you do post online about openings at your company, always direct candidates to your company website and other official channels.
Be sure to emphasize where you post positions, and where you don’t publish job listings (for example, never on social media), so it’s easier for potential hires to spot scams.
3) Educate HR About Employment Scams
Your HR and recruiting team can play an important role in shutting down job scams. They should understand the risk of brand impersonation in job scams and learn how to help detect and report fraudulent postings, as quickly as possible.
4) Establish a Contact to Verify Candidate-Company Communications
Choose a member of your HR team to serve as a point of contact for job seekers. People should be able to confirm with this employee that they are engaging in legitimate communications with your business. This makes it simple for candidates to verify if a job position is real or fake.
5) Constantly Monitor the Web for Brand Impersonation Sites
As part of a job scam, bad actors may clone your brand’s website, replete with your intellectual property and brand content. Scammers may direct candidates to this legitimate-seeming site as part of the scam, making the fraud more believable.
6) Swiftly Take Down Fake Websites
If you discover a website impersonating your brand, it is critical that you get the site taken down as quickly as possible. This is essential to prevent job scams, as well as to protect your brand reputation. You can file reports with hosting companies or use a takedown service.
7) Release Public Warnings About Job Scams
If bad actors are impersonating your business in a recruitment scam, it’s important that you release a public statement warning potential victims. This also deters cyber criminals from attempting further job scams using your brand. These statements should be published on your website, social media profiles, and job boards.
Protect Your Brand From Job Scams with BrandShield
One of the best ways to protect your brand from being used in job scams is by partnering with an online brand protection solution.
BrandShield is an expert brand protection provider with years of experience in safeguarding brand reputations and intellectual property.
As part of our comprehensive monitoring services, we constantly scan websites and social media for recruitment scams using your brand identity.
We ensure rapid responses in the event of job scams impersonating your brand, helping mitigate potential damage by ensuring these postings are shut down swiftly.
Brand protection isn’t just about security—it’s about preserving your brand reputation. Invest in a brand protection solution to regularly monitor hiring platforms and stay ahead of emerging online threats, including job scams.
Talk to us today to learn more about how BrandShield can safeguard your business.
