This Recruiter Scam Is Escalating Fast

We are seeing a sharp rise in recruiter impersonation scams targeting executives.

It came up at the SHRM Talent Conference last month, it was covered by the Wall Street Journal last week, and has happened to TWO of our own clients just this week, so this issue is certainly escalating.

We also covered this in more detail on our D&S Daily Career Brief here on YouTube. Note: Subscribe to our channel for daily updates on the biggest news impacting the executive job market. 

What's Happening

Bad actors are impersonating real, legitimate recruiters and contacting executives with job opportunities and even board-level opportunities. They are stealing identities of actual recruiters by using their names, photos, company names, and even profile pictures to get your personal data, money, or both. These emails and/or texts look legitimate and sound professional. They have signature lines that use the company logo, a headshot, and a link to the real LinkedIn profile to build your trust. 

Below is an example of a scam email our client received this week. This "person" seemed very helpful and responsive over several rounds of communication.

I've redacted the name since they were impersonating a real person.

Red Flags to Watch For

Right now, it's best to review all your inbound recruiter communications. Here are some common red flags to watch out for:

• The message comes from a Gmail, Outlook, or other free email address rather than a company domain. Even if the recruiter's name is real, a personal email is a hard stop. 

  
  
  
  

• The company name in the email address has a subtle misspelling or doesn't match the company's website domain. Look carefully. One transposed letter is enough to create a lookalike domain.

  
  
  
  

• The outreach comes through WhatsApp or another non-standard business channel. Legitimate recruiters typically use LinkedIn or corporate email.

  
  
  
  

• There is an intense urgency pushing you to move fast, share documents, or make a decision before you have had time to think clearly.

  
  
  
  

• They ask you to pay for something. Recruiters are paid by the companies they place candidates with, not by the candidates themselves. If someone is asking you for money in exchange for placement or access to exclusive opportunities, it is a scam, full stop.

  
  
  
  

• They tell you your resume needs to be in a specific ATS format and direct you to a paid service to convert it. This is a long-running scam. No legitimate recruiter will turn down a conversation because of your file format.

  
  
  
  

• A new one that came up this week: They ask you to share an unreasonable amount of information (even if it's not personal details) before ever speaking to you about an opportunity. A CHRO client with us had a "recruiter" reach out this week with an opportunity and asked for the following BEFORE they would talk to her about the job. 

When in doubt, go directly to that recruiter's LinkedIn profile and send them a message asking if the outreach was from them before engaging with the email or text. 

Who's Being Targeted?

We're seeing this happen to all types of senior leaders, so no one is immune. But there are two things that make you more visible to these scammers:

1. The "Open to Work" green banner on LinkedIn. Scammers are filtering for profiles with this banner turned on. It signals that you are unemployed, which makes you a more likely target.

2. Mass posts announcing your job search. Posting publicly that you are looking is another way scammers identify targets. Note: Beyond the visibility risk, mass posts like this also generates fewer meaningful responses than direct personal outreach to individuals in your network. We recommend reaching out personally, which both protects you and yields better results.

What's Next?

Navigating an executive search is complex enough without having to guard against bad actors at every turn. If you want hands-on support to land your next role faster without leaving money on the table (while avoiding scams), we can help.

We work one-on-one with our clients to develop standout executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles, build high-ROI job search strategies, gain introductions to recruiters, prepare for high-stakes interviews, and negotiate great compensation packages. 

Need help? 

We can help.

Book a complimentary consultation with us to learn how our Executive Edge Method™ can help you land your next big role or board seat faster. 

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Plus, we now host a 10-minute "Daily Career Brief" where Michelle Merritt and I highlight the biggest news affecting the executive job and board director market and what it means for you. 

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About D&S Executive Career Management:

We specialize in accelerating career transitions for senior executives and board candidates to land faster without leaving money on the table. Using our proprietary Executive Edge Method™, we've supported thousands of executives in landing top jobs in competitive markets and securing prestigious board appointments. Schedule a call to learn more.