Job scams are growing more sophisticated — here is what to watch for
Gen Z workers are among the most vulnerable to job scams due to limited hiring experience
Even professionals who help others find work are not safe from fraudulent job offers. Colleen Paulson, founder of Ageless Careers, received an email offering at least $900,000 a year for a role matching her background — sent from a Gmail account.
"No one's going to come and email me for a $900,000 a year job from a Gmail account," she said. "So you have to take that discretion and say, 'If it's too good to be true, then it probably isn't real.'"
"The scams are getting more and more complex and harder to detect," Paulson added. "I am afraid for people. It's honestly horrible."
Gen Z particularly at risk
A LinkedIn survey of over 8,000 workers found that Gen Z is disproportionately likely to fall victim to job scams. Oscar Rodriguez, LinkedIn's vice president of trust product, said younger workers may overlook warning signs because entry-level competition is fierce and many are unfamiliar with standard hiring practices. He added that recent AI advances have made it "cheaper, faster, and easier to pretend to be someone that you're not."
Key red flags to watch
Priya Rathod, workplace trends editor at Indeed, outlined the most common warning signs. Vague promises of high pay without specific role details, requests for upfront payment, jobs that cannot be verified on an employer's careers page, and offers made without any interview are all cause for concern. "They keep these details vague on purpose because specific details would give you something to verify," she said.
Scammers also deploy fake cheques, asking new hires to deposit funds and forward a portion elsewhere — leaving the victim out of pocket once the cheque bounces. "No one who's trying to hire you for a legitimate job listing is going to ask you for a payment prior to it," Rathod said.
Job seekers should also be wary of being pushed towards third-party chat applications early in the process, and should scrutinise email addresses carefully for suspicious domains or subtle misspellings.
If targeted, Rathod advises cutting contact immediately, avoiding any links, and contacting your bank if personal or financial details have been shared.
