{"id":332095,"date":"2026-03-06T13:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/332095\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:37:07","slug":"an-irish-job-hunter-a-linkedin-post-and-a-fake-recruiter-scam-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/332095\/","title":{"rendered":"An Irish job hunter, a LinkedIn post and a fake recruiter scam \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shane had taken a few months off after his high-powered role with a multinational had been made redundant. So when the polished outreach of a recruiter sharing a confidential C-suite position hit his inbox, he was delighted. His LinkedIn<\/a> profile was a great match.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart took a beat,\u201d says Shane, a senior leader with 20-plus years international experience. The message read: \u201cConfidential, high-impact opportunity \u2013 global head of event and experiential marketing \u2013 $150K \u2013 $300K+.\u201d <\/p>\n

This was a near bang-on match for his job search.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi Shane, I\u2019m reaching out regarding a confidential, retained search for a global head of event and experiential marketing with a company in the enterprise technology space,\u201d wrote Staffmark senior vice president Nina Franco.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour background stood out strongly during our shortlist review,\u201d Nina said. <\/p>\n

It had only been hours since Shane had made a LinkedIn post informing his network he was no longer in his old role and was open to new opportunities. <\/p>\n

The hiring company, a Dublin-based multinational, was seeking a leader to \u201cdrive measurable outcomes, build teams and shape performance\u201d, the recruitment executive said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf this aligns with what you\u2019re exploring, I\u2019d be happy to share the full role brief.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who go through silent redundancies feel the various stages of grief,\u201d says Shane. \u201cI had really identified with my job, I loved my job. I was good at it. I felt I excelled at it, so losing my job was a big deal for me. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo when I got this email, I felt elated. I felt, finally, here is a recruiter who has taken time to read my profile. Here is a job that matches my expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was indeed an uncanny match. The Staffmark website existed and Shane responded promptly. He asked Nina to share the role, and he suggested a phone call. He clarified his email address too; the recruiter had used an old one. <\/p>\n

Nina\u2019s response was fast.<\/p>\n

The employer, she could reveal, was a multinational customer relationship management provider called HubSpot. The role was located at its Europe office in Dublin \u2013 hybrid working with global travel, reporting to the top table. It was a remarkable match to his previous role. <\/p>\n

She shared the \u201ckey responsibilities\u201d and an \u201cideal candidate\u201d profile too. Compensation would include \u201cperformance bonuses, RSU [restricted stock units], premium benefits\u201d. <\/p>\n

Shane would need to respond to some screening questions, confirming his openness to travel, and forward his resume.<\/p>\n

He attached his CV and biography. <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, oh my God, this would be such an amazing opportunity, this could be really great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nina\u2019s response, again, was fast. She said she\u2019d run a quick \u201calignment check\u201d on his resume.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was all for this. I had my CV tested myself, I wasn\u2019t concerned when she said she\u2019d like to do it again \u2013 in fact, it made sense to me because of the AI<\/a> tools used in recruitment,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve reviewed your CV, and based on how our client evaluates senior talent … I think a few enhancements can boost your positioning,\u201d Nina suggested. <\/p>\n

She followed up with a long email of highly detailed and personalised feedback based on his CV, including pointers on how he could better describe specific parts of his experience to meet the role. The level of attention to detail was incredible and on point. <\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t disagree with anything. It made complete sense,\u201d says Shane.<\/p>\n

The format and font of his CV could be better optimised too, she said, so as not to confuse applicant tracking systems, the software employers use to find the best candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur executive document specialist can elevate your resume to board-ready standard, while keeping your authentic voice and your achievements front and centre,\u201d Nina offered. <\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like an introduction?\u201d<\/p>\n

Impressed by her detailed feedback and keen to progress, Shane agreed. Nina forwarded a Microsoft Teams<\/a> link, asking him to message the specialist directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe sure to request a 24-hour turnaround so we can keep your process moving quickly,\u201d she signed off. <\/p>\n

\u201cNina informed me about your need for a resume revamp,\u201d specialist Michael Emmanuel told Shane on Teams. <\/p>\n

He could rejig Shane\u2019s CV to make his 20-plus years\u2019 experience sing while making the format compatible with AI screening technology. Keyword optimisation would ensure his resume really aligned with the job description. <\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a cost with this, or does this come out of commission if I\u2019m successfully placed in this role?\u201d Shane queried.<\/p>\n

Michael outlined packages from $100 up to $500 for a \u201cdirector-level\u201d package \u2013 was this the level \u201cbest aligned to the direction he\u2019d like his career to take?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you on LinkedIn, so I can check out your services?\u201d Shane asked.<\/p>\n

Michael was a Staffmark partner, he said. He didn\u2019t operate on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that was weird,\u201d says Shane. <\/p>\n

They should agree to a package and then Michael would send Shane a contract via a platform that would keep his payment secure until the project was \u201cdelivered, reviewed and marked as complete by you\u201d, Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, something is wrong here,\u201d says Shane. \u201cMy heart sank. I stopped the chat.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emailed Nina and asked for a call \u2013 he would make the changes himself, he said.<\/p>\n

Nina wasn\u2019t keen.<\/p>\n

The role was highly competitive and the search confidential, she wouldn\u2019t be able to give much more detail on the phone at this point in the process. His CV scored just \u201c21 per cent against screening criteria\u201d \u2013 this was \u201cwell below the threshold for consideration\u201d, she said. <\/p>\n

Proceed with the CV specialist and we can move forward promptly, she advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf not, I completely understand, though I would not be able to advance your candidacy in its current state.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ouch. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018I feel so stupid\u2019: Victim\u2019s shame at falling for \u2018classic\u2019 \u20ac30,000 invoice scamOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Whatever about the power of LinkedIn\u2019s virtual network, Shane tapped his own real-life network. He called someone, who called someone, who would categorically confirm this job opening did not exist.<\/p>\n

Shane emailed Nina.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure why you would not be open to a phone conversation\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

Nina, or AI Nina, went quiet. <\/p>\n

Two days later, his inbox pinged.<\/p>\n

\u201cShane, I just wanted to check to see if you\u2019re still interested in this role,\u201d Nina wrote.<\/p>\n

It was Saturday evening; AI Nina, and whoever was behind her, was clearly working overtime. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf not, let me know so we can move forward and offer the opportunity to someone else. I\u2019d appreciate an update when you have a moment. Best regards, Nina.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you with me?\u201d Michael Emmanuel asked in a follow-up message.<\/p>\n

It had been a hell of a ride, but no, Shane was not with him any more. <\/p>\n

Only later did he fully appreciate the red flags \u2013 the speed of the emails, the subtle pressure, and Nina\u2019s reluctance to take a call. Nina had used a Gmail address, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer using Gmail didn\u2019t bother me, there are a lot of confidential, bigger roles often taken offline,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Social media companies made \u20ac32m serving scam ads to Irish users, research estimatesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Shane\u2019s instincts ultimately saved him from losing money, but the scam cost him in other ways. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was upset,\u201d says Shane. \u201cI\u2019ve had a couple of emails with potential jobs from scammers. One was for a role in Meta in Dublin. Another was for another tech firm, but you knew straight off it was a scam.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when I looked at this email, I fell for it, to be very honest. It was very targeted. I felt, \u2018you know me, you know my background.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMy assumption is this scam came to me because of what I posted on LinkedIn. I have never seen this level of sophistication of what you would call AI scamming, targeting the vulnerability of people sharing posts on LinkedIn,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is chilling. It\u2019s really opened my eyes to how AI tools are using your online profiles for scams.\u201d <\/p>\n

He pays \u20ac360 a year as a premium member of LinkedIn. The platform has a duty of care towards its users, he believes. <\/p>\n

The platform offers LinkedIn Talent Solutions \u2013 AI-driven tools that enable recruiters to find members with specific profiles, filtering by things such as job title, location, their year of graduation and whether they are open to work. <\/p>\n

Within hours of his \u201copen to opportunities\u201d post, Shane feels his data was scraped from the platform to create a personally-targeted scam. <\/p>\n

\u201cI feel LinkedIn should be using cyber criminality measures, or at least communicating with its members the risks and threats of how their profiles are being used by criminals,\u201d Shane says.<\/p>\n

He feels scams like this are \u201cdiscrediting\u201d the platform. LinkedIn used to be social media\u2019s earnest, nerdy cousin, in chinos and decksiders. <\/p>\n

Scams like the one experienced by Shane, however, will make users query being so loose-lipped on the platform \u2013 when and where we went to school or college, what we studied, where we\u2019ve worked and when, our family members and professional contacts, the conferences we will attend. <\/p>\n

\u201cI felt betrayed by LinkedIn, that\u2019s why I haven\u2019t called them,\u201d says Shane.<\/p>\n

Asked for a response, LinkedIn in Ireland said because the scammers approached Shane via email, not through its platform, they don\u2019t have a specific statement. <\/p>\n

It shared a LinkedIn post by the company\u2019s product VP, who said the company was working to \u201cmake job searching safer\u201d. <\/p>\n

LinkedIn\u2019s own AI tools can help job seekers tailor their CV, reducing their reliance on third-party services, which are increasingly associated with job scams, it says. More than a third of job scams now involve low-quality, CV-writing services, says LinkedIn. <\/p>\n

Scammers with a LinkedIn account are twice as likely to ask you to move the conversation off LinkedIn before their account gets removed, the platform says. Keep your interactions on LinkedIn, where its tools and features provide safety, it advises. <\/p>\n

Be suspicious of approaches from recruiter profiles that don\u2019t have a LinkedIn \u201cverified\u201d badge \u2013 this can be achieved by providing a work email address \u2013 that have misspellings, mismatched email addresses, a low number of connections, or that use a generic email address instead of @company.com.<\/p>\n

Shane\u2019s message to others is vigilance. When a recruiter approaches with a role that\u2019s an impressive match and with flattering urgency, second-guess it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy advice to anyone who has fallen for this is don\u2019t be hard on yourself. It\u2019s happening left, right and centre and it\u2019s at a level of sophistication I haven\u2019t seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The name \u201cShane\u201d is used to keep the person\u2019s identity private.<\/p>\n

You can contact us at OnTheMoney@irishtimes.com<\/a> with personal finance questions you would like to see us address. If you missed last week\u2019s newsletter, you can read it here<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shane had taken a few months off after his high-powered role with a multinational had been made redundant.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332096,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,7610,33319,1962],"class_list":["post-332095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-linkedin","tag-on-the-money","tag-work"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/332096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}