Scammers in IT recruitment: how to protect yourself

Reading time: 4 min

Recently, there has been an increase in fraud cases in IT recruiting. Scammers, pretending to be well-known recruiting agencies, lure candidates into disclosing their card numbers and scam them out of their money.
Unfortunately, our company has also been facing this situation – someone is contacting candidates claiming to represent Lucky Hunter.

Today, we'd like to discuss how we interact with candidates and provide insights on identifying scammers.

Recently we have addressed candidates' concerns about collaborating with IT recruitment agencies.

Why do scammers contact candidates?

Theft and Sale of Personal Information

Scammers aim to gather candidates' personal data, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and more, and then sell this information.

Financial Fraud

Scammers can:

request bank account details or card information, claiming it's necessary for processing payments and future salaries
ask for payment in exchange for their services or to expedite a candidate's application
request payment for educational materials and courses or claim fees for equipment "shipping"

To help you avoid falling for these scams, let's explore how our agency conducts candidate search processes.

Crystal Clear

Transparency in processes and communication is a core principle of our work. We firmly believe successful collaboration can only thrive upon mutual trust

In our latest Lucky Journal, which we shared last week, we shared good news about our company.

When a client contacts us, we thoroughly gather all the requirements, job conditions, and other relevant details. We also create a candidate profile with a client and then start the search.

We use various recruiting channels, including platforms like AmazingHiring, Github and LinkedIn. Our recruiters review over 300 resumes daily and reach out to suitable candidates.

How do we get in touch with candidates?

Through the email address provided in your resume
Via LinkedIn

What we never use to contact candidates:

WhatsApp
Tinder
Personal social media accounts
Registered mail

How do we typically start the conversation?

We introduce ourselves, ask if candidates are interested in the job, and provide brief details about the position.

If the candidate shows interest, we suggest a short video interview where we can share more about the company and the job.

Following this (if the candidate agrees), we introduce them to the company and move on to the next steps.

How to identify a scammer? Look out for these three red flags:

1

"Recruiters" ask for your banking information
Genuine recruiters are not interested in your banking details or other personal information. They are primarily concerned with your professional experience and qualifications.
2

"Recruiters" request payment for their services
In this case, it's necessary to understand the business core activities of the entity reaching out to you. IT recruitment agencies typically collaborate with companies and receive payments from them, not candidates. So, if someone claims to be a recruiter from such an agency and asks you for money, it's likely a scam. However, employment agencies provide job placement assistance for job seekers and, therefore, charge fees for their services.

Regardless, conduct thorough research to verify the company's and recruiter's authenticity before proceeding with any payments.
3

"Recruiters" try to persuade you to make a quick decision
Recruiters might rush you into making a hasty decision, leaving you no time to verify the information.

How to identify a genuine recruiter? Look for these three green flags:

1

A recruiter contacts you via their official corporate email address
In reputable professional agencies, employees typically use official email domains. For example, our agency recruiters' email addresses follow the format: name@luckyhunter.io
2

A recruiter's name is present on an agency's website or LinkedIn page
You can usually find information about agency employees on their official website or LinkedIn page. Our agency has a dedicated section that showcases our team members, their email addresses and LinkedIn profiles.
3

They do not request money from you
IT recruiting agencies receive compensation from the companies they collaborate with. The candidate sourcing and communication process is included in the services provided to these companies and does not involve any charges for the candidates.

If you suspect being contacted by scammers, here’s what to do:

Double-check the recruiter's information on the official website or LinkedIn profile
Reach out to the recruiting agency
If you discover that the recruiter isn't legitimate, try to get in touch with the agency. Take a screenshot and forward it to the email address provided on the website.
If you receive scam messages on behalf of our agency, please report them to the following email address: contact@luckyhunter.io
Don't rush into leaving negative reviews
When you encounter scammers, it's natural to want to alert your colleagues and share information about the fraudulent company online, including leaving a review on Google. However, it often turns out that the company isn't actually involved in fraud; instead, their reputation is harmed by strangers who steal their brand and write on their behalf to candidates. Unfortunately, this is our situation. And negative reviews can further damage the company's reputation.

Dear candidates, we kindly ask you to carefully examine and analyse all the information before posting any reviews. We are aware that scam messages are still being sent on behalf of our agency, and we are making every effort to warn candidates on our website, social media, and our Google page. We sincerely hope that we can put an end to these scammers.

One-star reviews are truly disheartening for us and only highlight the challenging situation we find ourselves in. Please refrain from making impulsive decisions. Together, we will defeat the scammers!

The recruiters at Lucky Hunter can find candidates from any specialisation or region. Fill out the form, and we will get in touch with you soon!

Alexandra Godunova

Content Manager at Lucky Hunter

Focusing on a diverse range of topics including talent acquisition strategies, employer branding, workplace culture, leadership development, and industry trends. With her extensive knowledge, she delivers engaging content that helps businesses thrive in the competitive landscape of today's job market.