Leomar Durán’s Post

The number of messages I get on LinkedIn from "scam" profiles daily are increasing and concerning. These profiles look real and promise opportunities for new jobs, opportunities for growth, and "financial freedom". I have empathy for all the individuals who are actively struggling to find employment because these messages promise things that are desired, a job. Here are some tips to help you catch a scam before it catches you: ➡️ Vet the profile of the person reaching out to you to ensure they are real and legitimate - Does the person claim to be in the US, but have a non-relevant title in a different country with an education from a third? Probably not worth considering. ➡️ Never give out personal information before you can do the vetting of the first - you should not have to pay to apply or give out your social security. ➡️ Use legitimate job sites to continue finding opportunities - rely upon career sites of the organizations to apply directly to the role. ❗️ Check out the FTC's resources on job scams and how to work around them ❗️

It's extremely frustrating going through the job search, application process, only to be emailed and called by Identity Theft scammers. We're supposed to trust the application process, from all of these companies that have their own web site portals, and then the scammers make their own portals, to gather your information to phish and hack your accounts and life. The worst part is, LinkedIn and Indeed seem to not be doing anything about it. So if you're applying online for jobs, and you get any kind of feedback from potential employers, be certain to do your due diligence, and research any and every contact that comes back to you. Moreover, in the web portals, when applying, never put in your driver's license and/or social security numbers. These identifiers are only to be given to the employer that actually hires you, and only after they hire you.

I’m positive that everyone who uses LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed, Zip-Recruiter, etc as a tool for locating employment has experienced a wave of eager recruiters messaging them daily about exciting new career opportunities. Great, right? Well it would be, if they were legitimate recruiters with valid jobs. I’d hate to estimate what the validity ratio is for actual job opportunities, (versus identity theft scams, and bait and switch), but it’s not a passing grade. Not by a long shot. I’m puzzled why LinkedIn (specifically) doesn’t investigate and remove these nefarious organizations. Maybe someone has the answer. I suspect it’s either bureaucratic inefficiency, or indifference. If I had a nickel for every text, email, or call I’ve received from ‘recruiters’ who feel I’m a great fit for the job they have, I’d be a wealthy man. (Spoiler, I’m not wealthy). 😂. The messages themselves are reasonable well written (probably AI) but when you speak to the person, they can barely speak English, and that lack of communication alone SHOULD send us all scrambling to hang up or block them. Sadly, it doesn’t. Most of us wouldn’t dream of revealing our personal or financial information to total strangers who just called us out of the blue in broken English and no caller ID, but before we wise up, they mention astronomical salary amounts. Once they bait the hook, all bets are off. It’s the same logic-sapping human greed which causes some people to become peniliess in Las Vegas. “Maybe it’s real!” (NOPE.) “But they have 5,000 followers on LinkedIn.” (So, they are clever scammers with a large network of accomplices). If it’s too good to be true, it’s NOT true… 😉 Here’s a link to the FTC fraud center. If you experience situations which you know or suspect to be fraudulent in some way, report it so that someone else doesn’t have to deal with the same problem. https://lnkd.in/gqBTZrmr

Well it was bound to happen. My first potential fraudulent job posting via LinkedIn messaging. It started yesterday afternoon when I received a message from a “recruiter” for a SME-Marketing/Creative with (insert utility company name here). Then two hours later, another message from a different recruiter came through. Same job description with slight differences. I looked at both recruiter profiles and noticed both were from outside the US and did not appear to have any connections to the hiring company. Then this morning a third message came through. Same job description with slightly more information but still another recruiter. All three are from different recruitment companies. I decided to reach out to the first recruiter and asked for the full job description. They gave it and asked for my resume. I then asked for the name of the hiring manager so I could check the legitimacy of the post before giving out my resume (pretty sure they wouldn’t give it to me but I wanted to see what their reaction would be). Of course, the answer was no but also “the position is already filling fast and will end by afternoon for submissions”. Maybe it is a legit job posting but after years in the banking industry and all the training we had regarding fraud and protecting customers, my Spidey sense was tingling. I politely declined the opportunity and wished them best of luck in finding someone. The sudden urgency to act was the final alert I needed. Please keep an eye out for any potential phishing or fraud attempts. Yes I would love to find the right job but I also don’t want to become a victim of identity theft. 

How much control can companies have over fraudulent job postings? A person very close to me has been in the job market for quite a while now. Despite his efforts, he has been unsuccessful at finding a position that would value his 20+ years experience and knowledge. Recently, he received an interview request from a tech company he had applied for and was ecstatic at the opportunity to land his dream job in the IT industry. The interview took place this morning; it was not in person, but via Teams and oddly enough, was a text interview (no camera or open mic). Despite the oddity of the interview environment, he spent 2 hours speaking to the company's Chief Digitsl Information Officer(or so he thought; an avatar with the person's picture came on screen) and was offered a position as a customer care representative. He was extremely excited about this, until he received a "welcome package" email from a Gmail account...that's when the word "fraud" shone through, brighter than the sun. Needless to say, his overall mood changed. He has been searching for nearly a year now for an opportunity as an IT support person and his hopes were shattered by people without any scruples who still, in spite of him confronting them about the fraud scenario, insisted on being legit and giving him false hopes in exchange for his information. This has got to stop, and I am hoping that someone out there in the IT industry is looking into this and becomes a trailblazer in the fight against these scammers. You have no idea how horrible it is to lift someone who has been constantly searching for an opportunity from a blow like this. #fightthefraudsters.

🚨 Beware of Employment Scams! 🚨 Dear LinkedIn Community, It has come to our attention that there are individuals posing as representatives of Valiance Solutions (valiancesolutions.com) who are engaging in fraudulent activities. These scammers are using a similar domain name (valiancesolution.com) and our company logo to deceive potential job applicants. We want to make it unequivocally clear: these individuals are not authorized agents or employees of Valiance Solutions. Their intent appears to be identity theft and other nefarious activities. Here are some important points to remember: 1. Verify the Domain: Always ensure that you are interacting with our official domain, which is www.valiancesolutions.com. Any variation, such as valiancesolution.com, is not legitimate. 2. Confirm through Official Channels: If you receive communication from someone claiming to represent Valiance Solutions, especially regarding employment opportunities, take the extra step to confirm their identity through our official channels. 3. Exercise Caution with Personal Information: Be wary of sharing sensitive personal information with anyone claiming to be associated with our company without proper verification. 4. Apply through Recommended Channels: Check our LinkedIn page for open job listings and always apply through the recommended channels provided on our website or official job postings. We don't communicate via whatsapp. 5. Report Suspicious Activity: If you encounter any suspicious activity or believe you have been targeted by these scammers, please report it to us immediately. Your vigilance can help protect others from falling victim to similar scams. At Valiance Solutions, we take the security and well-being of our community seriously. We are committed to taking action against these fraudulent activities and ensuring the safety of our potential employees. Please share this message with your network to help spread awareness and prevent others from falling prey to these scams. Thank you for your attention and support. #hiring #fraud #offerletter

🔥Scam, scam, scam, scam, scam!!! I wish people in this world would dedicate their time to uplifting people rather than swindling them during tough times. 🚨If you are currently interviewing for a new role and a company sends a note that they will hire you after all you’ve done is fill out a questionnaire - they are phishing for your identifying/bank information, not offering you a job. Do not send your ID, your bank info, or anything else to them. All companies will get on the phone at least once with you if they are serious about offering you a job. Especially if offering $55+/hr Scammers won’t…. Remember that. #hiring #jobseekers #jobinterviews #scams

I mentioned this a year ago! * Do NOT share this vital information prior to accepting a role. * Background checks are done via reputable providers and the employer does not get your personal financial information to request it. Only your email and/or phone number. Do you have more input to this? If so, comment below! We MUST look out for each other! #jobseekers #backgroundchecks #protectyourself

This is becoming a frequent talking point while speaking with professionals looking for a new position - if you're concerned that the person calling you about a job opportunity might not be telling the truth, or selling your information, phishing, etc.... there are a few simple steps you can take. Search on Google, BBB, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Blind, etc. for the representative & their company. If you can't find them, see them, or talk to anyone who knows them, they probably don't have anything to offer. If you do find them, their company's presence and online reputation should tell you a lot. Why would a business market themselves & opportunities with large, desirable companies to candidates, but not to clients? Don't be afraid to ask those people these questions! They aren't used to that, and will generally crumble quickly.

Most of us have received some kind of scam email or text, but these criminals are getting smarter. They're now impersonating recruitment agencies to get desperate people to part with money or financial info. If you get a surprise email, text, or Whatsapp message from a recruitment agency, always be very sceptical before replying! https://bit.ly/3FLutfG #Scams #Recruitment #HR #Phishing