Fake Job Posts: Have You Been Hacked?
Employers, have you ever used a job board to recruit top talent? If so, keep reading!
You might not be aware that cybercriminals are scamming companies and job seekers via job boards. These nefarious individuals are savvy in their approach, creating vulnerabilities from several angles. I’ve put together some safety tips and tricks for employers to know while creating job board listings.
Hackers are logging into your job board accounts and creating listings under your company profile.
Perhaps you created an account with a job board years ago and haven’t logged in since. Or maybe you are using an easy password so that multiple people inside your company can log in. Regardless, it’s important to note that you must keep all of your online accounts secure. Otherwise, they are vulnerable to hackers stealing your company data, posing as you, and stealing applicants’ information. Here are some tips to mitigate this issue:
- Make sure to monitor all of your accounts, whether you are actively using them or not. Do a periodic checkup of all of your accounts and make sure you know exactly who has access to them. Perhaps you need to change user permissions or access.
- Update your passwords. Make it a habit. While it’s frustrating to keep remembering new passwords, it will also safeguard you from unwanted drama. By periodically changing your login information, you can proactively get ahead of hackers.
- Always check your credit cards for bogus charges. Hackers are using the data in your account to create new job listings to attract candidates. These extra charges will show up on your credit card statements alerting you that your company profile on a job board might’ve been hacked.
Hackers are creating fake profiles on job boards posing as your company.
Seems like a lot of work, right? But, it’s the latest way hackers are trying to scam folks. Perhaps your job board accounts are secure. But, what you might not realize is that online scammers are creating fake profiles that appear as your company. While this may not directly impact your business, it can create confusion within your community, reduce confidence in your organization, and hurt potential employees.
- Take a few minutes today to cross-reference and check that everything on your job board listed is active and credible. This is a super easy step that can be done periodically and quickly.
- Do a quick google search and make sure nothing false or shady appears. Try searching different keywords and phrases to see what comes up. This is also great practice for brand awareness too!
If you DO have an active job opening, take these precautions while interacting with potential employees.
Hackers are incredibly savvy in gaining insights, data, and knowledge into your organization. They go at it from every angle. Additionally, something as simple as a link on a resume can take down your entire computer system. Here are some best practices to mitigate any company-wide damage.
- Always double-check the email address you are receiving information from. Hackers can pose as individuals applying to your company, but if the email address seems fishy, it could very well be.
- Avoid receiving or opening word documents from any applicant. Encourage applicants to send you PDF copies of their materials. This will cut down on any unwanted malware or clickbait.
- Do not click any links that candidates send you without 100% confidence.
Have other tips or advice? Feel free to leave us a comment below. While we are busy helping organizations create world-class teams, we also stay on top of the latest news and data impacting our clients.
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