How to Verify Tential Is a Legitimate Recruiter

A PSA for job searchers! We've been made aware that Hook is unfortunately one of the many companies being used in a recruiting scam. This time around, there's a scammer named "Scott Riley" claiming to be a Hook recruiter who is emailing people with resumes on Indeed to set up interviews via Skype for a Freelance Photographer role. Keep in mind, this is happening to many companies, big and small, right now. They’re reaching out about full-time and freelance positions, using different names and various email domains. Job searching can be tough enough, so we’ve pulled together some tips to protect yourself from fake recruiters: - If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Plain and simple. Take your time to review the outreach closely.  - Check that email domain. Keep an eye out for the fishy ones like .store and .site or free email services like Yahoo, and always reference the official company site to check contact info. For example, Hook’s legitimate recruiters will only contact you through official @byhook.com email addresses. - Visit the careers page of the company and verify that the role and description match the recruiter's outreach, especially if their initial message is vague. - Most company career pages will have a careers@ or jobs@ email alias that you can reach out to to confirm legitimacy.  - Is the person on LinkedIn? In this day and age, ain't no way a recruiter doesn't have a LinkedIn profile. If they do, check to see if they are verified or if they have the company they claim to be working for listed and tagged as their current employer.  - If a job offer comes way too soon (before any interviews or only after one interview) and the individual is pushing you to sign immediately, this is a warning sign. Legitimate employers will respect your decision to take time to review and think about the offer.  - Do not provide any personal information to these individuals. We will never ask you for things like IDs, Passports, banking information, etc. until after you have started at our agency and during our onboarding or orientation period. #recruitingscam #fakerecruiters

Not my usual post, but beware of text recruiting scams! Today, I received 2 text messages within 15 minutes of each other claiming to be a recruiter who had "reviewed my resume" for a role. It was obvious they were scams: they claimed to be from a recognizable brand but the messages were sent from personal Gmail and Outlook accounts. As someone who texts with candidates all of the time, I hate that these scammers are taking advantage of a tough job market. So, how to tell if a recruiter text message is authentic versus a scam: - Do you know this person? If the sender is truly a recruiter who found you through legitimate channels (like LinkedIn, a referral, or a previous application), they'll likely introduce themselves clearly and mention how they know you. If you've never interacted with them, be cautious. - Is the number or sender ID suspicious? Some legitimate companies use automated texting services, but these usually identify the company upfront. Confirm that the message is NOT from a personal email, especially if they claim to be an internal recruiter for a brand. - Check their online presence. If you can't easily verify their identity or company online, proceed with extreme caution. - DO NOT SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION (like bank details, social security numbers, or copies of your ID) early in the conversation, especially before an initial interview or verification of the role. You shouldn't have to share any personal information until the offer stage. - Does the "opportunity" sound too good to be true? Then it probably is. Unsolicited offers for incredibly high-paying roles that require no specific experience, or promises of guaranteed employment without a proper vetting process, are often scams. What to do if you suspect a scam: 🚫 Do NOT click on any links. 🚫 Do NOT reply to the message. 🚫 Block the number. 🚫 Delete the message and report it, if possible. #RecruitmentScams #JobSearchTips #CareerAdvice #ProtectYourself

It is such a tough market right now, and the last thing job seekers need is scammers trying to take advantage of that stress. 💯 When you’re already juggling applications, interviews, and bills, getting those fake “job offers” or shady recruiter messages can feel like an extra punch in the gut. It’s frustrating because they prey on hope and urgency. 🚨 Job Scam Spotting Checklist ✅ Research the Company • Look for a legitimate website (with a careers page). • Check LinkedIn for employees who actually work there. • Google the company name + “scam” to see if warnings pop up. ✅ Verify the Recruiter • Real recruiters will use a company email (not Gmail/Yahoo/Outlook). • Look up their name on LinkedIn to confirm they’re legit. ✅ Check the Job Posting • Be cautious if the posting has poor grammar, vague details, or unrealistic pay. • Cross-check on the company’s official careers site. ✅ Watch for Red Flags • Asking for money upfront (training, equipment, “processing fees”). • Offering the job immediately without an interview. • Pushing you to act urgently or keep things “confidential.” • Only communicating by text/WhatsApp/Telegram with no video call. ✅ Protect Your Information • Never share banking info, SSN, or full personal details until you’ve verified the employer. • Only fill out official applications through secure company portals. 🌟 Rule of Thumb: If it feels off, it probably is. Trust your gut—real opportunities can handle your questions and verification.

Scams. The job search is already hard enough without scammers, but they're getting increasingly more sophisticated. Here's how to spot and avoid them: One of my clients last week forwarded me and email notification she had received via a LinkedIn message. The person sending her a message seemed legit. His profile showed that he worked for a recruitment company, and his message referenced a job title that my client was pursuing. Upon Googling the recruitment company name, it seemed ok, but I saw that others had experienced some strange interactions with this company in the past. That's enough of a red flag to proceed with caution. I advised my client to request this person to email her directly from his company email address, and we haven't heard back since... This serves as an important lesson for all job hunters. Scams aren't as obvious anymore, as now scammers are finding ways to impersonate REAL employees and REAL companies. Here are some other things to look out for: 1) Always make sure that conversations are coming from a legitimate company email address. Not Gmail. Not Yahoo. Not LinkedIn Messages or InMail. 2) Check the LI profile carefully. Look for things such as: -generic stock photo (or no photo) -no real work history or vague titles -very few connections or followers Sometimes scammers steal headshots from the internet. You can use Google’s reverse image search to see if the photo shows up elsewhere. 3) Search for the job directly on the company’s career site. If the recruiter is legit, the job should appear on the company's official careers page. If it’s not there, that’s a red flag. 4) Be wary of interviews done only over chat apps (like Telegram or WhatsApp). These types of apps are encrypted and can be used anonymously. Try to opt only for more professional platforms such as Zoom, Teams, etc. 5) The language used in messages are often a dead giveaway. Overly formal phrasing, odd spacing or extra spaces between words, vague descriptions, poor grammar, or phrases like “congratulations, you are shortlisted” without prior communication are red flags. 6) Don’t give out personal info before filling out onboarding paperwork. Your SSN or banking info is NEVER necessary before you've accepted an offer. In my years of career advising, the scams have gone from very obvious to well-disguised, so always be on your toes and trust your gut. If you're ever unsure about the legitimacy of an interaction, reach out to me and I'll help do some due diligence for free!

With the amount of texts I get like this, I can empathize with #JobSeekers to be hestitant about working with recruiters. This is a scam, here’s 5 reasons why… Immediate Red Flags: 1. Contact Method - Random iMessage from an outlook email - Suspicious email address (shanliaojihuangcipang@outlook.com) - Wants to move conversation to WhatsApp (classic scam tactic) 2. Compensation Red Flags - Unrealistic pay ($200-$2000 per day) - $1500 for 5 days work with minimal time commitment - "Earn if you want" language - Too good to be true compensation structure 3. Company/Role Issues - "Movieclips" isn't a typical employer name - Vague job description ("update their data") - Claims multiple recruitment companies recommended your resume - No specific skills or qualifications required - No formal interview process mentioned 4. Scam Patterns - Probationary period mentioned (common in financial scams) - Promises benefits without proper hiring process - Uses urgency and too-good-to-be-true offers - Generic greeting ("Hello, my name is Lisa") - No professional signature or company contact details 5. Professional Standards Missing - No official company email domain - No LinkedIn profile referenced - No formal application process - No company website mentioned - No legitimate business contact information Remember: Legitimate recruiters will: - Use corporate email addresses - Connect via LinkedIn or professional platforms - Provide clear company information - Have realistic compensation discussions - Never ask for WhatsApp as primary contact Here are some best practices for you when getting approached by a recruiter : ➡️ Verify Their Credibility - Company website exists - LinkedIn profile has history - They use professional email - They are NOT pressuring you ➡️ Share Critical Information - Current compensation goals - you can ask salary range (check state laws) - Notice period/availability - Interview conflicts/other processes - Deal breakers upfront ➡️ Documentation Ready - Updated resume - Portfolio if applicable - References prepared - Achievement metrics - Certifications current ➡️ Professional Boundaries - Don't share confidential info - Keep communication clear - Be honest about other interviews - Notify before accepting other offers Again… recruiters will: - Tell you their company name - Respect your boundaries - Never ask for payment Stay aware!! #JobSearch #Recruiting #CareerAdvice #JobScams #Scams

Happy Friday to everyone except the SCAMMERS PRETENDING TO BE RECRUITERS. More of these stories have been popping up on my news feed, and then I had a fake recruiter reach out to me about a job this week. Here's what you need to look for: 🚫 No legit recruiter will have 0 or very few connections on LinkedIn. 🚫 The email address they are using is a gmail account. No legit company with recruiters is using anything but a custom domain email address that matches the company's website domain. 🚫 Incomplete profile or profiles with lots of mistakes. For example, the scammer who contacted me had listed the same master's degree twice on their profile. 🚫 Legit recruiters don't conduct interviews via WhatsApp or Telegram. 🚫 Legit recruiters do not request money from you, especially when they are posing as an in-house recruiter. Not even for you to "buy office equipment" after offering you a job. When in doubt: ✅ Do a reverse image search of the profile picture. Most are using stock photos. Some might be AI images. ✅ Verify job information matches on the company's website. ✅ Call the HR office to verify the recruiter and job posting / offer. ✅ Review the company's employment website. Most are starting to identify reported scams and disclose how they actually conduct the hiring process. Report and block these people! Hopefully, LinkedIn can address this issue. I think requiring recruiters verify their identity is a start...

I am taking the green banner down, not because I've landed a new position, but lately, it’s become harder to distinguish between real recruiters and bots here on LinkedIn—especially during a job search! Over the past two months, while navigating unemployment and searching for work, I’ve encountered more than a few fake accounts and scams. Here are a few red flags I’ve picked up that may help others in the same boat: 🔹 Check the connections. If a recruiter posts on your timeline, click on their profile. If their “connections” link leads nowhere or seems suspiciously inflated, that’s a major red flag. 🔹 Watch the email address. Legitimate recruiters typically use corporate domains. If someone asks you to send a resume to an address like jennasimmonsrecruitment@gmail.com, that’s a sign it’s not real. 🔹 If you notice the same person replying to everyone who has a green banner on in a thread, they are not looking to help you land your next role. 🔹 Shady DMs.  If a “recruiter” loves your profile, says you are the perfect fit for a position they are working on while trying to move the conversation off LinkedIn, be cautious. LinkedIn gives you an option to report these accounts. Please report them and help everyone out.

I posted a couple weeks ago about some job scam red flags that job seekers should be aware of… Job scams are an unfortunate, but all-too-common, issue in today’s job market, so it’s also important to understand some strategies you can implement to keep yourself safe. If you come across an opportunity that seems a little suspect (or honestly, any opportunity that isn’t from a secure job board, like FlexJobs), then I recommend some of the following steps: ➡ Seek out the company’s actual careers page to verify the legitimacy of the posting (and then apply directly through their site) ➡ Search for the company name/job title and the word “scam” to see if you can uncover any complaints or reports about scam activity ➡ Verify the contact information of anyone you interact with - legitimate employees will be using the company’s actual email domain ➡ Use LinkedIn, the company website, and a general internet search to check that the person you interact with actually works for the company ➡ Request a detailed job offer letter that outlines job title, salary, benefits information, and work responsibilities, if not already provided ➡ Confirm that they are using a trusted source to collect any type of information from you or to process any type of reimbursement And remember to trust your instincts! The majority of people who become victims of job scams recount feeling like something was off at some point in the process, but they ignored their gut and continued on because they wanted the job. #jobsearchtips #jobscams #BOLDvoices

This is the dark side of LinkedIn nobody talks about… Fake recruiters. Scam job offers. And they’re targeting people who are the most vulnerable those who are open to work. Just the other day, I received an unsolicited text: “It’s Julia… are you interested in a job?” 🚩 And recently on LinkedIn, someone with what looked like a recruiter profile reached out. At first glance, everything seemed normal. But with a little digging, I noticed: * Their profile was created that very day * They had 4 connections * They were spamming random comment sections * When I asked for an email to respond to, they gave me: talent680@hotmail.com I blocked and reported the profile. Unfortunately, not everyone catches these red flags. And that’s what worries me. If you’re open to work, please protect yourself: 🔍 Double-check recruiter profiles, look for history, connections, and real activity 📧 Be cautious with email addresses, legitimate recruiters won’t use Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail 🤝 Ask for a company domain email before sharing any info 🚫 Never share sensitive information (SSN, banking, personal docs) until you’ve fully vetted the role Being open to work should not make you a target. Stay sharp, stay connected, and help look out for each other. #JobSearch #OpenToWork #CareerAdvice #RecruitmentScams #LinkedInTips #StaySafe #CareerGrowth