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This past week, I had my first direct encounter with a scammer on LinkedIn. They tried to exploit my current job-seeking situation, posing as someone eager to “help.”

It all started shortly after I my blog post posted on LinkedIn. A person named “Linda Jones” from a recruitment company reached out. She complimented my extensive work history and asked if I could answer a quick question. I replied, “Sure.”

The “quick question” turned into two: What has been the most challenging part of your job search? And what exactly are you looking for?

The interaction started out looking legit. None of the typical scam red flags. But something didn’t look right.