There were clues from the start that it was too good to be true. A headhunter emailed me with a job prospect – a journalist role with “a leading US technology and markets editorial team”. The opportunity, she said, was part of a confidential expansion and hadn’t been publicly posted.
My spidey-sense was tingling, but the timing was auspicious. I was on the lookout for new work as my maternity leave was coming to an end. Initially, the email seemed legitimate. When I Googled the sender, I found a headhunter with the same name and profile picture on LinkedIn, and the message was clearly tailored to me: It referenced several roles I’d previously held and identified my specific areas of expertise. “Your focus on the real-world impacts of AI, digital culture and the gig economy aligns perfectly with an internal, high-priority mandate I’m managing,” the headhunter wrote.
I emailed back. The headhunter asked me to send over my CV, along with my salary expectations, preferred work structure (remote, hybrid, or on-site), and geographic flexibility. In return, she shared a more detailed job description. The role was, indeed, perfect for me. Too perfect – as if someone had put my CV into ChatGPT and asked it to create a job description based directly on my experience. It was located in the city in which I live and offered a hybrid working arrangement, just as I’d requested. The biggest tell: I’d been ambitious with my salary suggestion, but this was offering significantly more.
By this point I was fairly sure I was being taken for a ride, but I still couldn’t figure out the scam. I found myself trying to justify the anomalies. It’s an American company, and salaries are generally higher there, aren’t they? I asked about next steps. Then the headhunter gave me feedback. My CV undersold my leadership skills, she said; it needed refining. If I liked, she could connect me with a specialist who would make my profile more compelling. They would discuss pricing directly with me.
I fell for a "resume help" scam a couple of years ago via LinkedIn. I don't even use the site anymore.