LinkedIn outlines measures to combat job vacancy scams

As you’ve no doubt noticed, scammers are increasingly targeting people with fake job offers, with seemingly large companies randomly reaching out claiming they’ve recognized your skills, making you a perfect fit for a role at their company.

These are not legitimate, and I dare say no major organization will ever randomly send an email from Nike Recruitment offering you a role on the spot if you respond to an email.

But with more than half of all Americans looking for a new job by 2026, scammers are trying to capitalize on that desire for change. And as well as emails, they’re also targeting people on LinkedIn, so today LinkedIn has outlined how it plans to combat this, along with some tips on how to avoid job scams.

LinkedIn’s VP of Product Oscar Rodriguez has a new overview of the latest updates to the platform on this frontincluding improved scam detection, new verification requirements, AI-powered resume tools and more.

First, scam detection, which has now become a broader focus for LinkedIn as it looks to combat misleading engagement and fake profiles on the app.

Rodriquez says LinkedIn has increased its trust signals in recent months new requirements around workplace verificationwhich will provide more certainty about vacancies.

LinkedIn has seen solid adoption of its free verification process, which uses third-party validation to associate a government ID with your profile and then adds a verification check mark next to your name.

Businesses can now also verify that they are a company’s legitimate presence, adding an extra layer of assurance and security for in-app job postings.

LinkedIn has also improved its scam detection tools inbox filters now relegate contacts from questionable accounts that are not in your network to your Spam folder.

And as noted, LinkedIn is also cracking down on automated responses and profiles, which can give a misleading impression of presence on the app.

More fake business pages are also being removed and enforcement of repeat violations is being strengthened, while new ones are being added AI tools that allow you to tailor your applications directly to LinkedIn.

Which, Rodriguez says, will reduce reliance on third-party services, which are increasingly linked to job scams.

“In fact, more than a third of job fraud today involves low-quality resume writing services.”

Probably best to avoid those.

In addition to its own efforts, LinkedIn says job seekers should remain on the lookout for potential signals of concern in the app:

• Be careful what you share. Think about what personal information you are asked to provide. Never provide bank account information before the onboarding process.
• Say ‘no’ to suspicious requests. Scammers can use tactics that legitimate employers wouldn’t, such as asking you to download coded software for a job interview or offering jobs with high pay for little work. Vacancies after just one remote interview.
• Look for verification badges as signals of trust. Scammers are five times more likely to come from outside your network than in a real interaction. If you see a verification badge on a profile, it means the member’s identity or place of work has been verified by one of our third-party partners.
• Track your interactions on LinkedIn: Scammers are twice as likely to ask you to move the conversation off-platform than a real interaction, and the majority of scams and fraud occur through fake accounts, which LinkedIn typically removes quickly. That means bad actors will quickly ask to move the conversation from LinkedIn before their account is deleted. By keeping your interactions on LinkedIn, our tools and features can help you stay safe.

These are some great tips that will help you avoid the increasing number of job scammers looking to lure unsuspecting people with tempting offers.

Again, companies are unlikely to reach out randomly, especially the big ones, and even less likely to offer you a job straight away.

If it seems like it might not be legitimate, it’s probably best to leave it alone and avoid giving information to scammers who prey on people hoping for an opportunity.