Job scams on LinkedIn have grown 70% since 2022, and AI has made them dramatically more convincing. Attackers create fake company profiles, fake job listings, and AI-powered recruiter bots that can maintain realistic conversations over days or weeks.
The play: an unsolicited message about a role with salary far above market rate. Initial conversations are warm and professional. Eventually they need your personal details for 'background check processing' — name, address, SSN, banking information for direct deposit. Some ask you to purchase equipment that gets 'reimbursed.' None of it is real.
Red flags specific to LinkedIn recruitment scams: the company profile was created recently; the recruiter's profile has few connections or a generic headshot; the job listing has no internal employees connected to it; the salary is significantly above market; they quickly move you to WhatsApp or Telegram; and they never ask to video interview (or the video is a pre-recorded loop).
For any job opportunity: verify the company exists at its stated address, look up the recruiter's name independently and see if they appear on the company's actual website, and never provide SSN or banking details until you've confirmed employment through HR on a verified company contact.
Legitimate recruiters are fine with verification questions. If someone gets defensive when you ask to confirm their identity through the company's main website, that's your answer.