About a year ago, I shared a vlog on LinkedIn about recruiting scams. Unfortunately, the story I told then is just as relevant today, if not more so.

With the continued wave of layoffs across industries, job seekers are more vulnerable than ever. And scammers know it.

I was recently reminded of this when thinking back to a candidate I worked with last year.

She had been on the job market for a couple of months after a layoff when she was contacted about an opportunity. Naturally, she was excited. The company looked legitimate; the role aligned with her experience, and everything initially seemed to check out.

Then came the interview.

She logged on expecting a standard video call via Microsoft Teams. Instead, the “interviewer” began communicating only through the chat function. No video. No voice. Just typed questions.

At first, the questions seemed normal, basic screening, background, experience. But as the conversation continued, things started to feel… off.

That’s when she messaged me.

She asked if this was normal. I told her that while some companies are beginning to experiment with AI-driven screening tools, those interactions are typically brief and clearly communicated ahead of time. This didn’t sound like that.

Still unsure, she decided to continue the interview.

It lasted over an hour.

The next day, she received a message: she had “scored highly” and they wanted to extend an offer.

No real conversation. No human interaction. Just like that, an offer.

Then came the ask for personal information.

Red flag.

When she forwarded me the email, another issue immediately stood out: the sender’s email address was from a Yahoo domain—not a company domain.

Another red flag.

At that point I advised her to stop all communication immediately.

Here’s the part that makes this even more concerning: the scammers were impersonating a legitimate company, one with a strong reputation and positive reviews on Glassdoor.

This wasn’t an obvious scam. It was calculated, believable, and targeted.

Red Flags Candidates Should Watch For

If you’re currently job searching, here are a few warning signs to keep in mind:

• Interviews conducted entirely via chat with no prior notice
• No live interaction with an actual person throughout the process
• Unusually fast offers (and offering well over what you were asking) without a thorough interview process
• Requests for sensitive personal information early on
• Email domains that don’t match the company (e.g., Yahoo, Gmail, etc.)
• Vague or inconsistent communication about the role or company

When in doubt, trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

What Companies Can Do to Protect Their Brand and Candidates

This isn’t just a candidate problem; it’s a company problem too. Scammers leveraging your brand can damage trust before a real candidate ever reaches you.

Here are a few ways organizations can stay proactive:

• Educate candidates: Add a “Recruitment Fraud Warning” section to your careers page
• Standardize communication: Ensure all outreach comes from official company domains
• Be transparent about your process: Let candidates know what to expect at each stage
• Monitor for impersonation: Set up alerts or periodically search for misuse of your company name
• Encourage reporting: Make it easy for candidates to verify opportunities or flag suspicious activity

Final Thought

Scams like this are designed to look real, because they are built on real companies, real roles, and very real urgency.

As recruiters, hiring managers, and companies, we have a responsibility to create clarity and trust in the hiring process.

And for candidates: don’t let urgency override caution. The right opportunity won’t require you to ignore red flags to get there.

If something doesn’t feel right, don’t navigate it alone. Reach out to your network. Talk to someone you trust. Connect with a recruiter. Ask the question.

That’s exactly what my candidate did, and it made all the difference.

A quick message, a second opinion, a gut check… those small steps can protect you from a very big mistake.

You don’t have to have all the answers, but you should never feel like you have to figure it out on your own.