Description

I was contacted on October 15, 2025, by someone claiming to be Julie Mink, Talent Acquisition Manager at Elevance Health. The email appeared legitimate and referenced actual Elevance job postings on LinkedIn. Using a Gmail address, the impersonator initiated a supposed hiring process for a Digital Solutions Director position. After reviewing my résumé, “Julie” claimed my application didn’t pass the company’s ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and referred me to a “resume specialist” named Carmen Westfall at Abundance Career Solutions, who also used a Gmail address. Carmen requested a $300 payment for résumé optimization, insisting I send it via PayPal Friends & Family, then Payoneer, and finally through direct wire transfer to an account under Abiodun Oluwapamilerin Ajibola at Lead Bank, Kansas City, MO. When the Payoneer payments failed, she provided bank routing and address details for a manual wire transfer. Shortly after payment, both scammers continued to engage me with fake “updates” about my hiring progress, requesting additional paid documents (cover letter, statement of purpose, etc.) for $480. I grew suspicious due to repeated payment issues, Gmail domains, and inconsistencies in names and photos. I verified through Elevance Health’s official website that these communications were fraudulent. I immediately contacted Wells Fargo to initiate a stop payment and fraud investigation and filed a report with Elevance Health’s corporate fraud team. Why I Believe This Was a Scam Elevance Health recruiters use official @elevancehealth.com email addresses, not Gmail. The scammers requested multiple payments through unprotected personal payment methods. The LinkedIn photo for “Julie Mink” does not match the scammer’s profile image. Elevance Health confirmed they never charge candidates or refer them to paid résumé services. Action Taken Reported to Elevance Health’s Fraud & Security Department Contacted Wells Fargo Fraud Division to recall wire transfer Preserving all documentation (emails, receipts, Payoneer screenshots) for law enforcement Preparing reports for FBI IC3 and FTC once systems resume operations