How to avoid recruitment scams in the age of AI

As the industry adapts to the evolving AI-driven world around us, the rise of AI has strengthened a darker side of the industry: recruitment scams. 

Job market scams have become more sophisticated, harder to spot, and increasingly dangerous for job seekers who are innocently seeking their next career move. It’s a tale as old as time, just now supercharged by AI. Action Fraud reported receiving more than twice as many reports of recruitment scams in 2024 compared with 2022. The Guardian highlighted the rise of scams against the backdrop of a tough job market, something PR is definitely no stranger to.

There is a certain irony that not only is AI reducing job opportunities (especially at the entry-level), but it is also being used to target those seeking employment. And in an industry where anonymised job postings are the norm, it’s easy to see how recruitment agencies can be impersonated convincingly.

Are boutique consultancies immune?

Last year, we were alerted to scammers pretending to be our agency, Latte, sending WhatsApp messages to candidates claiming to offer remote job opportunities – so even boutique consultancies are not immune.

For job seekers, it can be difficult to discern what’s genuine and what is fake – especially if you’re not used to working with recruiters. 

Here’s what to look out for to avoid recruitment scams: 

1. Paying for recruitment services: Candidates are typically not required to pay for recruitment services. If you are sent a payment link or asked for bank details in order to be considered for, or offered, a role, it’s most likely a scam.

The only exception may be if you are going on the recruitment agency’s payroll for a freelance contract. Get written confirmation of this in your contract if this is the arrangement.

2. Paying for mandatory CV enhancement or interview training: If a recruitment agency is putting you forward for an opportunity, they will likely give this support for free, as they want you to put your best foot forward. Whilst some may offer legitimate add-on services, it shouldn’t be mandatory to be considered for a role.

Latte has a free CV template for anyone to download and use – even if you’re not interviewing for a role with us.

3. Check you are speaking to a real employee: Some scammers will impersonate a real employee from a real company, so this can be tricky. You can confirm their legitimacy by checking if they are on the company website and checking if they are listed as an employee on the company LinkedIn (and checking for duplication of accounts).

It’s worth noting that companies do not have to verify an employee for the account to list the company as their employer. It is also not easy to remove fake employees. At Latte, all our employees are workplace verified on LinkedIn (the grey tick shield on a LinkedIn profile), which confirms they work with us. If you are uncertain, message the company through official, advertised channels or contact the founder or CEO to confirm the recruiter you’re speaking to is legitimate. 

4. Emails from unfamiliar domains: Most companies have a branded, consistent domain across all company emails. At Latte, it’s @ wearelatte.com. Be cautious of senders using unfamiliar or generic email domains, or a domain that doesn’t match other contact information on the website.

If you are contacted via WhatsApp, and are suspicious it’s a scam, ask to communicate via email or LinkedIn so you can discern their domain or profile.

5. Jobs that feel "made for you": As the old adage goes, if something feels too good to be true, it probably is. AI has made it easy for scammers to hyper-personalise job opportunities on scale – and job seekers are the perfect target, especially if you’re out of work.Be ware of jobs that feel like an exact match to your experience, offer significant salary increases or remote working. It’s not that these jobs don’t exist, but they’re telltale tactics scammers may use to entice you.

6. Ask to see a privacy policy before handing over private information: Before handing over personal information like passports, you can request to see the company’s privacy policy to see how your data is stored and used.

Latte is a PR & Comms recruitment agency.