The Job Scam Report Podcast

Here are some basics to apply to any and all attempts to get your financial and personal information: * Never give your passwords to anyone. * Use a password manager * Use MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) IN all circumstances * Be a critical thinker (more in the video) 1. Fake Job Application Portals * How it works: They send you a link to a professional-looking career site or “secure application...

I had the privilege of speaking with Michael Schuemack from IdentityIQ, a cybersecurity company monitoring scam activity. We dove deep into the surge of job scams, their tactics, and strategies job seekers can implement themselves. Michael explained that his organization can anticipate some trends, but they often confirm new scam tactics only after hearing from affected members. Social platforms l...

Just like a landmine of explosives covered by dirt, in plain sight, the fake job market exists. Job seekers are fatigued by the numerous dead-end applications they’re filling out. Fake jobs from phony companies are listed on the same page as ghost jobs from legitimate companies, and the average job seeker now has to conduct due diligence before applying. Right now, consider its present state the n...

There will be victims of deepfake job interviews. Most job seekers don't prepare adequately for job interviews, and even worse, they often don't know what to expect. The lines are less blurred between the deepfake videos of last and the ones where technology enables anyone to create videos of seemingly real conversations between two people. The mouths and actions are entirely in sync. Similarly, A...

"Have you ever felt a rush of excitement upon receiving a job offer that seemed too good to be true?” Many college students will face this dilemma, especially new grads. I participated in a panel a year ago at St. Xavier’s University in Chicago. I was joined by several other panelists: Lauren Milligan, Dr. Vincent Alexander Davis, and moderator James Miller. The featured clip on this week’s episod...

Thanks for joining me on The Job Scam Report . Today, I opened up about a topic often left unspoken in the job search— fear —and how it quietly plays a role before someone even falls for a scam. Fear doesn’t just show up after the damage is done. It starts when someone’s been laid off a few times, faced long-term unemployment, or is struggling to pay bills. Fear leads to desperation, and desperati...

Summary In the episode of “The Jobs Scam Report” podcast, we discussed recent layoff trends, the associated rise in job scams, and strategies to avoid them. Jay Jones and Ashley Price Horton joined me to share insights on red flags, evolving scammer tactics, including deepfakes and AI-generated content, as well as best practices for job seekers, with an emphasis on cybersecurity. We also tried to...

In today’s episode, I am featuring Lance Spitzner,  Workforce of Cybersecurity at SANS Institute and a board member of the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Highlights of our discussion: * Key points include the importance of vigilance, verifying information, and recognizing red flags such as unsolicited offers and requests for personal info or payments. * Scammers may aim to steal money or persona...

We’re in a job market where fake and real jobs are listed on the same job boards, with few differences in the job descriptions. Job seekers don’t have to go to a job site to land fake jobs. Unsuspecting job seekers have gone to fake job sites and not applied. They are still targeted because fake sites will install malware and spyware. In this episode, I discuss several tools job seekers can use to...

People who are most vulnerable to job scams often lack awareness and knowledge, and underestimate their potential to be duped by scammers. I’m glad you are reading this, which means you’re trying to stay sharp, marketable, and vigilant. I hope you share this with your coworkers, friends, family, and network. This is a fight to protect your personal information and assets. Today’s episode and artic...

Welcome back to “The Job Scam Report” podcast. There are many first-time listeners, so welcome. I am grateful that you’re listening, as you wish to job search safely and strategically. Subscribe and you’ll find the advice will help you secure your personal information and find work. If you’re not looking, there are some solid job search tips available here and on the mothership website, The Voice...

HireClick experienced a data breach, exposing approximately 5.7 million resumes to scammers, which could potentially enable identity theft and phishing. Job seekers should protect their personal information when applying for jobs. Most people don’t realize how vulnerable their privacy is until it has been compromised. In this episode, I discuss HireClick and what a data breach could teach us about...

Today marks the platform's first anniversary. While most of the content is about job scams, we proudly present relevant job search advice. When we discuss the future of work, navigating the job scam landscape safely is as important as modern job search strategies. Job scams are as old as job applications, resumes, and cover letters. What makes the last three years different is technology is access...

In this short podcast episode, I explain how a scammer tried to lure one of our LinkedIn Live participants into resume writing services. Bad actors pull out all the stops, and you must carry the same energy. Their efforts are increasing as layoffs and job separations intensify. Our podcast episode during LinkedIn Live experienced this in a subtle but bodacious way. It’s like a pest flying in your...

It’s wild to experience as a job seeker in 2025, a “fake job market” can hinder your reach to actual hiring employers. You are searching for opportunities in a landmine of fake employers, hiring managers, recruiters, career services professionals, and referrers. This is a critical time in the modern job search, where it’s essential to verify the authenticity of anyone claiming to offer assistance....

Remember “Search Engine Optimization” and how it helps businesses and people get found online? It’s keyword—or key phrase-driven, and those who master it enhance and increase authority, traffic, or notoriety. “Search Everywhere Optimization” is a valuable discussion to explore how job seekers can craft an online presence to get noticed, possibly referred, or secure job opportunities uniquely suite...

The cast of “The Job Scam Report” had another great show on our “LinkedIn Live” as we provided advice on job scams, job search, and additional resources to earn money. Many of our audience were recently laid off or anticipate layoffs from the federal government and their industry landscape of announcements of layoffs. I update my LinkedIn profile 2-3 times weekly. If you want to stay closely updat...

Many of my readers work in the federal government, so I feel compelled to help. This week, I’m reverse engineering my method to help everyone avoid job scams from the scammer's perspective. I hope to bring it with clarity and empathy while communicating the harsh reality of already seeing scammers target unemployed job seekers. Before I begin, note I attached the audio podcast from last week to th...

Job scams have "increased more than threefold from 2020 to 2023 and, in just the first half of 2024, topped $220 million," according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, 12/12/24). The latest trend is gamifying job scams called task (or game) scams. Tasks are asked of the user to start for cash, but to complete the game, victims add money. Yep, it's the old pay-to-get-paid scheme, but gamified. P...

In this week’s episode, I share the virtual presentation with Tewksbury Public Library in Tewksbury, MA. They had a great group of approximately 40 participants with engaging questions about scams. Like most groups I have spoken to this year, some detecting and avoiding experienced a job scam. We try to use these experiences as lessons of what to do, and what not to do. I hope you recognize how jo...

For the second time, I wanted to share my interview with Craig Fisher, whose company specializes in talent operations for start-ups and big brands. His experience building companies from the ground up has given him insight into how scammers can use technology to fool job seekers and companies. This is the first time I’ve included it in the podcast directory on Substack. This is a deeper dive into...

I hope you will make “The Job Scam Report” your go-to podcast as part of your overall job search portal for knowledge and awareness. Security is necessary for today’s job search while applying sound strategies to find your next opportunity. Success is not possible without safety. In this episode, Kerry Tomlinson offers her perspective, knowledge, and expertise to help job seekers spot deepfake vid...

In this episode of “The Job Scam Report,” we are attempting to cover as much ground as possible since there are many new layers to old scams. We know as technology evolves and changes, so will perpetrators’ scams. Ashley and Jay joined me on another LinkedIn Live to help the job seeker community become more knowledgeable and aware. We discuss more about fake LinkedIn profiles from fake career serv...

I hope you’ve been enjoying “The Job Scam Report.” I want to improve it and make it more relevant to your needs. I hope you will take three minutes to fill out my survey to give me an idea of how to meet your needs and make you more aware of, avoid, and defend against job scams. If you have recently experienced a job loss or are beginning a job search, I have a 42-page eGuide to help you get start...

This episode features Marc Evans , a financial crimes detective and co-founder of Fraud Hero. Marc discusses job scams , social engineering , and identity theft and elaborates on his role as a detective and Fraud Hero's mission to help prevent fraud. Highlights: He emphasizes that job scams are a form of cybercrime with complexities involving multiple levels of victimization. He shares that scamme...