Digital assets firm Kraken has issued an alert about the increase in recruitment and job-related scams via networks like LinkedIn and social media platform X. Indeed, job scams are nothing new but they continue to take on new forms with an increasing level of sophistication. Crypto exchange Kraken has advised job seekers and consumers in general to always check for the email address to make sure it is coming from a verified source.
Oftentimes, a scammer will attempt to impersonate a legitimate business or company and pose as a recruiter. They will even forward unsuspecting job seekers an actual job posting to which they may need to respond with a resume. Quite often, the recruiter will ask for a fee to process certain documents. These bad actors will also employ various other deceptive tactics.
Kraken noted in a recent blog post:
“Lately, scammers have found a new angle: impersonating Kraken recruiters and support staff. Their goal? To steal your trust first and your assets second. They’ll promise jobs, partnerships or quick money. They’ll spin stories that sound plausible. They’ll try to make urgency feel like opportunity. But here’s the truth: real employment opportunities can be found through our official Kraken jobs portal and aren’t driven by FOMO.”
Considering that there have been many layoffs, especially in the tech space, scammers will try to go after people desperately looking for work. However, one must always remain careful and vigilant. As Kraken has clarified, real work opportunities are always found via their official jobs portal.
Kraken has also cautioned:
“Many scams are elaborate. Some will go slowly before to better gain the trust of their victims, a process often referred to as “pig butchering.” We collaborated with the U.S. Secret Service in an operation that recovered $225 million from such fraud.”
Kraken further noted that various other scams tend to move fast, trying to use pressure as well as FOMO to get people to act quickly and “without thinking too much.” This is a very common tactic used by fraudsters to trick people into doing things they normally would not.
Despite the challenges someone might be facing in finding a good job, it is always best to remain extra cautious in today’s fast-paced digital environment.
