After months of rejection, you’ve finally found a job posting that promises great pay, flexible hours, and unlimited growth potential—and they’re desperate to fill the position. However, the hiring process is different from your previous experiences. The recruiter is asking for your Social Security number and saying that you must pay for training before starting work. Then it dawns on you: It’s a scam.
This is the unfortunate experience of many American job seekers, and the consequences can be more than just wasted time. To better understand how to spot these scams and what can happen if you fall for one, we talked to 1,000 active job board users about their experiences with these fake postings and how they stay safe on job board platforms.
Key takeaways
- Nearly three in ten job board users have fallen for a fake job posting.
- Americans most frequently fall for fake job postings on Indeed, LinkedIn, and Craigslist.
- One in ten who have fallen for a fake job post did so from an employer’s company device.
- 14% of those who use public profile information in their passwords have had their job board account hacked.
Platforms for imposters
To begin our study, we wanted to know the prevalence of job posting scams and their associated experiences and consequences.
Nearly three in ten job board users we surveyed had fallen prey to a job post scam. Women were more likely to have done so than men (32% compared to 25%), and the most likely generation was millennials (one in three had done so at least once).
These listings were not confined to obscure websites, as Indeed and LinkedIn were the top job platforms where our respondents encountered fake posts. Keep in mind, though, that many people look for work on these job sites, so it tracks that one might run into more scam jobs there compared to less popular platforms.
We then asked people who had taken the bait of a scam job posting what the process was like. Approximately half reported being asked to give unnecessary personal information, and about two in five received vague or unclear answers to their questions. The online imposters also requested financial information nearly a quarter of the time, and a similar number asked for a payment.
Other times, they had set up interviews through unconventional channels like social media or messaging apps. That’s one thing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns about—accepting job offers via apps like Telegram Messenger that allow users to communicate anonymously.
While most people who fell into these traps were able to get out unscathed, 27% reported compromised personal data, and 7% had their identity stolen. So, never give anyone your sensitive personal information until you can verify a job offer’s credibility. The Better Business Bureau found that one in four people who have been the victim of a scam job gave scammers their Social Security number, making them a prime target for identity theft.
Job board users weren’t just putting their own data at risk when falling for scams, though. One in ten job scams occurred on a company device provided by an employer. The same number caused the user to reveal sensitive information about their employer in the process.
Compared to people working exclusively in-person or remotely, hybrid workers were the most likely to have fallen for a scam job post while on a company device—and to have revealed confidential company information. People looking for remote jobs might be more vulnerable to work-from-home scams since remote jobs don’t require face-to-face interactions (which scammers avoid). When evaluating a remote job posting, always research the company and position to ensure the “recruiter” is who they say they are.
Spotting scammers
Now that we know why people fall for scams, let’s discuss how to avoid them.
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, cybercrime is becoming easier to commit. Fortunately, it seems people are pretty good at weeding out AI-generated fake job posts: Only 7% of our respondents were unable to distinguish between a real job posting and one created by AI.
When we asked respondents how they could identify a job post as a scam, the top warning sign they gave was a “too-good-to-be-true” offer. For example, 66% said if a job promises rapid wealth, then that post might be a scam. Over half (58%) also said a promise of high pay for minimal time or skills was a warning sign. As scam jobs may become more common, job seekers should remain critical of job postings with any of these red flags.
Precarious password protection
Even when job board users are able to identify scam jobs, many could still be putting their accounts (and even other people’s data) at risk with their password habits.
A good job board profile includes your name, location, employment history, and education. But the same can’t be said for your login credentials. Unfortunately, 36% of users also included some of this public information in a job board account password. Such readily accessible personal details can be easily guessed by cybercriminals, making your account more likely to get hacked.
Overall, 8% of our respondents said at least one of their job board accounts had been hacked— but that number increased to 14% among those with public profile information in their password. This readily available personal information wasn’t the only thing inspiring job board account passwords: three in four respondents reused their passwords across different job board platforms, 30% used their social media passwords for their job board accounts, and 17% admitted to using a work password.
Increasing these risks, only one in three job board users had enabled multi-factor authentication (MFA) on their job board accounts, making their password the only thing a cybercriminal needs to get in.
Searching for jobs and security
Despite the convenience of job board platforms, they can be risky. Fake job posts impact a significant number of users, and these scams are likely to ramp up as AI becomes more advanced. Requests for unnecessary personal information, financial information, and even payment can be common in these scams, sometimes leading to financial damages, identity theft, or revealing sensitive company information.
Our findings weren’t all bad news, though. Job board users have largely learned to identify the warning signs of a job post scam and that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s our advice: If you must use a password for a job board account, don’t include your personal information—especially when it’s on your public profile. And if you can, rely on non-password security measures instead.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,007 Americans about their experiences and habits with online job boards. Among them, 50% were men, 48% were women, and 2% were nonbinary or nonconforming. Additionally, 7% were baby boomers, 24% were Gen Xers, 56% were millennials, and 13% were Gen Z. For work location analysis, 30% worked in-person, 31% worked a hybrid schedule, and 39% worked remotely.
About Beyond Identity
Beyond Identity provides cutting-edge, passwordless authentication technology, ensuring secure and user-friendly access without the risk of security breaches. Our FIDO2-certified solutions offer a smooth and secure user experience.
Fair use statement
Want to help keep job seekers safe? Feel free to share this article; we just asked that you do so for noncommercial purposes only and include a link back to this page.
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After months of rejection, you’ve finally found a job posting that promises great pay, flexible hours, and unlimited growth potential—and they’re desperate to fill the position. However, the hiring process is different from your previous experiences. The recruiter is asking for your Social Security number and saying that you must pay for training before starting work. Then it dawns on you: It’s a scam.
This is the unfortunate experience of many American job seekers, and the consequences can be more than just wasted time. To better understand how to spot these scams and what can happen if you fall for one, we talked to 1,000 active job board users about their experiences with these fake postings and how they stay safe on job board platforms.
Key takeaways
- Nearly three in ten job board users have fallen for a fake job posting.
- Americans most frequently fall for fake job postings on Indeed, LinkedIn, and Craigslist.
- One in ten who have fallen for a fake job post did so from an employer’s company device.
- 14% of those who use public profile information in their passwords have had their job board account hacked.
Platforms for imposters
To begin our study, we wanted to know the prevalence of job posting scams and their associated experiences and consequences.
Nearly three in ten job board users we surveyed had fallen prey to a job post scam. Women were more likely to have done so than men (32% compared to 25%), and the most likely generation was millennials (one in three had done so at least once).
These listings were not confined to obscure websites, as Indeed and LinkedIn were the top job platforms where our respondents encountered fake posts. Keep in mind, though, that many people look for work on these job sites, so it tracks that one might run into more scam jobs there compared to less popular platforms.
We then asked people who had taken the bait of a scam job posting what the process was like. Approximately half reported being asked to give unnecessary personal information, and about two in five received vague or unclear answers to their questions. The online imposters also requested financial information nearly a quarter of the time, and a similar number asked for a payment.
Other times, they had set up interviews through unconventional channels like social media or messaging apps. That’s one thing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns about—accepting job offers via apps like Telegram Messenger that allow users to communicate anonymously.
While most people who fell into these traps were able to get out unscathed, 27% reported compromised personal data, and 7% had their identity stolen. So, never give anyone your sensitive personal information until you can verify a job offer’s credibility. The Better Business Bureau found that one in four people who have been the victim of a scam job gave scammers their Social Security number, making them a prime target for identity theft.
Job board users weren’t just putting their own data at risk when falling for scams, though. One in ten job scams occurred on a company device provided by an employer. The same number caused the user to reveal sensitive information about their employer in the process.
Compared to people working exclusively in-person or remotely, hybrid workers were the most likely to have fallen for a scam job post while on a company device—and to have revealed confidential company information. People looking for remote jobs might be more vulnerable to work-from-home scams since remote jobs don’t require face-to-face interactions (which scammers avoid). When evaluating a remote job posting, always research the company and position to ensure the “recruiter” is who they say they are.
Spotting scammers
Now that we know why people fall for scams, let’s discuss how to avoid them.
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, cybercrime is becoming easier to commit. Fortunately, it seems people are pretty good at weeding out AI-generated fake job posts: Only 7% of our respondents were unable to distinguish between a real job posting and one created by AI.
When we asked respondents how they could identify a job post as a scam, the top warning sign they gave was a “too-good-to-be-true” offer. For example, 66% said if a job promises rapid wealth, then that post might be a scam. Over half (58%) also said a promise of high pay for minimal time or skills was a warning sign. As scam jobs may become more common, job seekers should remain critical of job postings with any of these red flags.
Precarious password protection
Even when job board users are able to identify scam jobs, many could still be putting their accounts (and even other people’s data) at risk with their password habits.
A good job board profile includes your name, location, employment history, and education. But the same can’t be said for your login credentials. Unfortunately, 36% of users also included some of this public information in a job board account password. Such readily accessible personal details can be easily guessed by cybercriminals, making your account more likely to get hacked.
Overall, 8% of our respondents said at least one of their job board accounts had been hacked— but that number increased to 14% among those with public profile information in their password. This readily available personal information wasn’t the only thing inspiring job board account passwords: three in four respondents reused their passwords across different job board platforms, 30% used their social media passwords for their job board accounts, and 17% admitted to using a work password.
Increasing these risks, only one in three job board users had enabled multi-factor authentication (MFA) on their job board accounts, making their password the only thing a cybercriminal needs to get in.
Searching for jobs and security
Despite the convenience of job board platforms, they can be risky. Fake job posts impact a significant number of users, and these scams are likely to ramp up as AI becomes more advanced. Requests for unnecessary personal information, financial information, and even payment can be common in these scams, sometimes leading to financial damages, identity theft, or revealing sensitive company information.
Our findings weren’t all bad news, though. Job board users have largely learned to identify the warning signs of a job post scam and that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s our advice: If you must use a password for a job board account, don’t include your personal information—especially when it’s on your public profile. And if you can, rely on non-password security measures instead.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,007 Americans about their experiences and habits with online job boards. Among them, 50% were men, 48% were women, and 2% were nonbinary or nonconforming. Additionally, 7% were baby boomers, 24% were Gen Xers, 56% were millennials, and 13% were Gen Z. For work location analysis, 30% worked in-person, 31% worked a hybrid schedule, and 39% worked remotely.
About Beyond Identity
Beyond Identity provides cutting-edge, passwordless authentication technology, ensuring secure and user-friendly access without the risk of security breaches. Our FIDO2-certified solutions offer a smooth and secure user experience.
Fair use statement
Want to help keep job seekers safe? Feel free to share this article; we just asked that you do so for noncommercial purposes only and include a link back to this page.
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