Description

Hello everyone, ?I wanted to share a recent experience with a very convincing job scam to help others stay safe in their job search. This scam impersonates a real, well-known engineering company, using their actual logo, address, and even the names of real recruiters to appear legitimate. ?Here’s a breakdown of how the scam works and the red flags to look out for: ?The Process: ?The scammers reach out about a desirable remote position (in my case, a "Procurement Specialist"). The communication is professional, and they send a multi-page, official-looking offer letter as a PDF. It includes a high salary, a sign-on bonus, and a full list of benefits, making it seem completely real. They even use the name of a real company recruiter in the emails to build trust. ?The Red Flags: ?Even though it looked convincing, here were the warning signs that it was a scam: ?The Equipment Purchase Scam (This is the most important giveaway!): The offer states that the company will provide funds for your home office equipment. They tell you they will mail you a check for several thousand dollars. You are then required to deposit it and immediately send payment to their "company-approved vendor" to order your computer, monitors, etc. This is a classic fake check scam. The check will eventually bounce, but by then you will have already sent your own real money to the scammers. A legitimate company will never ask you to do this; they will ship equipment directly to you. ?Unprofessional Details in the Offer: Look for things that don't quite add up. The formal offer I received included a stock option grant for an absurdly low number of shares (literally two shares). This is a subtle but clear sign that the document was created by someone who doesn't understand how corporate compensation actually works. ?Pressure to Provide Personal ID: They will ask you to sign the offer and return it with a copy of your driver's license or other photo ID via email. Legitimate companies have secure, formal onboarding processes for this and usually don't ask for it in an unsecured email with the initial offer acceptance. ?How to Protect Yourself: ?Always trust, but verify. If you get an amazing offer that seems too good to be true, take a moment to confirm it. Do not use any phone number or email address from the offer letter itself. Go to the company's official website (find it through Google), get their main phone number, and ask to be transferred to HR or Recruiting to verify that the offer is legitimate. ?Stay safe in your job search!