As you’ve no doubt noticed, scammers are increasingly targeting people with fake job offers, with seemingly big-name companies randomly reaching out and claiming that they’ve recognized your skills, making you a perfect fit for a role with their business.
These are not legit, and I dare say no major organization is ever going to randomly reach out with an email from “Nike recruitment” to offer you a role on the spot, if you respond to an email.
But with more than half of all Americans looking for a new job in 2026, scammers are looking to tap into that desire for change. And in addition to emails, they’re also targeting people on LinkedIn, so today, LinkedIn has outlined how it’s looking to combat such, along with some tips on how to avoid job scams.
LinkedIn’s VP of Product Oscar Rodriguez has shared a new overview of the platform’s latest updates on this front, including improved scam detection, new verification requirements, AI-powered resume tools and more.
First off, on scam detection, which has now become a broader focus for LinkedIn, as it looks to combat misleading engagement and fake profiles in the app.
Rodriquez says that over the last few months, LinkedIn has increased its trust signals, including new requirements around workplace verification, which will provide more assurance on job listings.
LinkedIn has seen solid take-up of its free verification process, which uses third-party validation to attach a government ID to your profile, and then adds a verification checkmark beside your name.
Businesses can now also verify that they’re the legitimate presence of a company, and that’s added an extra layer of assurance and security for job listings in the app.
LinkedIn’s also improved its scam detection tools, while its inbox filters now demote contact from questionable accounts that are not in your network to your Spam folder.
And as noted, LinkedIn is also cracking down on automated comments and profiles, which can create a misleading impression of presence in the app.
It’s also removing more fake company pages, and it’s increased its enforcement of repeated violations, while it’s also added new AI tools that can help you tailor your job applications directly on LinkedIn.
Which, Rodriguez says, will reduce reliance on third-party services, which are increasingly associated with job scams.
“In fact, more than a third of job scams now involve low-quality CV-writing services.”
Probably best to avoid those.
In addition to its own efforts, LinkedIn says that job seekers should remain wary of potential signals of concern in the app:
- Take care with what you share. Consider what personal information you are being asked for. Never give out bank account details before the onboarding process.
- Say “no” to suspicious requests. Scammers can use tactics that legitimate employers wouldn’t, like asking you to download encrypted software for an interview or offering jobs with high pay for little work. Job offers after just one remote interview.
- Look for verification badges as signals of trust. Scammers are 5x more likely to be from outside your network than a genuine interaction. If you see a verification badge on a profile, that means the member’s identity or workplace has been verified by one of our third-party partners.
- Keep your interactions on LinkedIn: Scammers are 2x more likely to ask you to move the conversation off-platform than a genuine interaction, and the majority of scams and fraud happen through fake accounts, which LinkedIn typically removes quickly. That means bad actors will quickly ask to move the conversation off LinkedIn before their account is removed. By keeping your interactions on LinkedIn, our tools and features can help keep you safe.
These are some good tips, which will help you avoid the increasing amount of job scammers looking to lure unsuspecting folk with tempting offers.
Again, companies are unlikely to be reaching out at random, especially big ones, and they’re even less likely to be offering you a job straight away.
If it seems like it might not be legit, it’s probably best to leave it, and avoid handing over info to scammers preying on people hoping for an opportunity.
