Smart Job Searching: Insider Tips to Avoid Fraud

The idea of landing the perfect job can be exciting, but it’s also intimidating and hard work, particularly when you're trying to navigate the vast online landscape. Job seekers come to LinkedIn because we're a trustworthy platform for connecting with people, companies and hopefully - that next big chapter in your career. That's why our teams have been enhancing features to help you steer clear of scams and bad actors and find a job that aligns with your aspirations. Here are some job tips and tools to help you on in your search: 

1. Check for verified information on job postings: 

Over the last year we rolled out our free verification feature for members. We’ve also added a verification badge to job postings which means there is verified information about the company and job poster. This includes for example, if the poster is affiliated with an official company page, has verified their association with a particular workplace, or has verified their identity through one of our identity verification partners. When you’re on the job hunt, looking out for this feature can help you make more informed decisions about what businesses and professionals to connect with. 

2. Be mindful of sharing sensitive information: 

If someone asks for any personal information, like your LinkedIn account credentials, financial account information or other sensitive personal information, that could be a sign of a scam. For example, you should never give out bank account information for a direct deposit before the onboarding process. 

3. Look out for red flags: 

As you look for open roles, we’ve added a feature that will surface safety tips as a friendly reminder of what to keep an eye out for: 

• Job postings that sound too good to be true or that ask you to pay anything upfront, such as mystery shopper, company impersonator, or personal assistant posts, are typically scams. This can also include people asking you to send them money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or to invest.
• Profiles with abnormal profile images or incomplete work history, bad grammar.

4. Message Warnings 

We’ve added an optional advanced safety feature, automated detection of harmful content, that when enabled, may detect potentially harmful content that could impact your security. For example if someone asks you to take a conversation off platform that can sometimes be a sign of a scam. You can learn more about this setting here.

5.  Say No To Suspicious Requests:

Scammers can use tactics that legitimate employers wouldn’t.

•  Asking you to download encrypted software for an interview. 
• Offering jobs with high pay for little work
• Job offers after just one remote interview is very rarely a legitimate deal. 

If you come across a job post or poster you believe is a scam, we encourage you to report it so our teams can take action. 

Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to advance in your career field, I hope these tips and features will help you on your professional journey.