There’s a new recruitment scam on LinkedIn, and job search coach Vini has warned job seekers to be on their toes after she narrowly escaped a fake interview that looked legitimate at every turn.
In a viral Instagram shoot, Vini shared how she applied for the role looking credible and professional, received a formal email response and was sent what appeared to be a real interview link. Believing the opportunity was real, she spent hours preparing for the interview.
The first red flag came when the Zoom chat link only worked on Android and Windows devices and failed on iPhones and Macs. The link then asked her to turn off her VPN — a request she said no legitimate recruiter would ever make. A closer look at the sender’s email ID revealed a suspicious domain, confirming her fears.
“That’s when it hit me – I was cheated,” Vini said in the reel.
Describing the experience as frustrating and draining, Vini said she decided to speak out because of the growing number of students and professionals who are desperate for opportunities in a tough job market — and increasingly targeted by scammers posing as recruiters on LinkedIn.
She warned that real recruiters would never ask candidates to disable security settings, download unknown apps or join interviews through links with restricted device access. Vini urged job seekers to check company websites, check recruiters’ LinkedIn profiles and trust their instincts if something doesn’t seem right.
The reel struck a chord online, with several users sharing similar experiences with fake recruiters and suspicious interview links. As recruitment increasingly moves online, experts warn that awareness remains the strongest defense against digital employment scams.
The user wrote: “Mac to the rescue. Luckily it’s safe. Be careful next time. Good luck with future job interviews.”
Another user wrote: “It’s just not MAC protection, but the exploit was made specifically for Windows OS, so luckily it didn’t work on Mac OS.”
“Thank you so much for the information… many young people are thinking of a job interview coming up in hopes of getting an email,” wrote a third user.
A user shared a job posting scam: “My mom has fallen for a job listing scam before, she applied, went through the questionnaires, even got an email saying it was from the company and interview time, my mom wanted to change the time a bit because she had an appointment at the time they said, so she called the company directly and asked directly about the person she received the email from and they informed her that she had never been followed up before. Interview if possible.”
“Yes, this happened to me on Indeed. The company reached out to schedule an interview but the iPhone link wouldn’t open. I found the company’s email on their official site and found out they never posted a job. It’s a scammer using their name,” another user shared.
