How to Identify Fake Recruiters and Protect Yourself on LinkedIn

The article describes a deceptive outreach that appeared to come from a recruiter for a senior editorial strategy position at Indeed, complete with a personalized message and a LinkedIn profile. The scam escalated when the writer was asked to use a paid résumé-enhancement service before the application could proceed. Upon forwarding the exchange to Indeed, the company verified that the recruiter was not affiliated with them and that the job did not exist.

Erica Rivera, a former recruiter at Indeed and Meta, outlines how job seekers can recognize authentic recruiters—such as finding the posting on an official site and checking corporate email addresses—and warns of warning signs like sparse LinkedIn activity, suspicious profile photos, and any request for personal data or fees. She advises cutting off contact, reporting the fraud, and sharing experiences to alert others. The piece highlights the growing difficulty of detecting recruiter impersonation, as noted in LinkedIn’s 2026 Job Search Safety Pulse survey.