18–22% of LinkedIn Jobs Are Fake: Namma Bhaarath Investigates Ghost Postings

As India's young workforce flocks to LinkedIn in search of opportunity, a dangerous new trend is on the rise: fake job postings by scammers posing as recruiters. With the click of a “Easy Apply” button, many are walking straight into sophisticated traps—losing money, personal data, and in some cases, their peace of mind. A Platform of Promise — and Exploitation LinkedIn, once considered the most trusted professional networking platform, is now being exploited by cybercriminals to run phishing schemes, data harvesting operations, and even money laundering rings under the guise of legitimate employment. Fake listings appear for roles like: Remote Data Entry Executive Work-From-Home HR Recruiter International Process – Immediate Hiring Freelance Digital Marketing Agent Many of these appear to come from well-known companies with official-looking logos and HR contact names. Some even include fake LinkedIn Premium badges and verified-looking profiles. How the Scam Works A Fake Job Post Goes Live: Scammers create job listings, often cloning real companies or creating fake shell entities. Initial Contact via LinkedIn or Email: Applicants are contacted with a short message and asked to shift the conversation to WhatsApp or Telegram. ‘Selection’ and Request for Payment: Victims are told they’re selected after a brief chat or “interview.” Then comes a request: “Registration fee”: ₹300–₹3,000 “Training deposit”: ₹5,000–₹10,000 “Verification charges” Sometimes, scammers ask for bank details or ID cards. Vanishing Act: Once money is sent, the scammer disappears. In some cases, victims are drawn into multiple layers of payment under the illusion of onboarding. True Stories from the Field Delhi: A 26-year-old woman lost ₹12,000 after being offered a remote content writing job on LinkedIn by someone impersonating a tech startup. She was asked to pay for a “content writing toolkit” and “editorial panel access”. Bangalore: A fresher was duped into transferring ₹5,000 for “background verification” after being told she had cleared an online HR round for a remote role at a multinational BPO. The job never existed. Hyderabad: A man was approached for a remote “crypto content editor” job via LinkedIn. The role turned out to be a money mule operation, and he later received an IT department notice for suspicious transfers. Platform Response: LinkedIn’s Official Stand LinkedIn has acknowledged the rise in fraudulent job activity: In 2023 alone, over 66 million fake accounts were removed, and 190,000 fake job postings were taken down globally. The company claims it uses AI-powered fraud detection and community reporting to flag scams, but the Indian market remains especially vulnerable, where job desperation is high and digital literacy gaps persist. Red Flags to Watch For Requests for money: Legitimate employers never ask for fees Too-good-to-be-true salaries with minimal job requirements No formal domain email (e.g., using Gmail/Yahoo) No verifiable company website or listing Shifting from LinkedIn to WhatsApp quickly Immediate selection without interview Legal Steps and Reporting If you’ve been targeted or scammed: Do not pay or share further data Report the scam on cybercrime.gov.in File an FIR with your local police or cybercrime unit Report the fake listing/profile directly to LinkedIn Watch your bank and email activity for signs of further misuse Government Advisory In 2024, CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) issued a public advisory warning job seekers about: Fake recruiters using names of known companies Phishing links through LinkedIn messages Deepfake video calls with forged HR interviews When Hope Becomes a Trap Job-seeking is a vulnerable process. In an age where opportunity comes through notifications and DMs, it’s vital to ask: Who is offering it, and why? Scams thrive on silence and stigma. It’s time to expose them. Namma Bhaarath urges job seekers to: Verify recruiters and companies before applying Never pay for a job application or selection Share this story with friends, especially freshers and remote job seekers