What's with ~employers~ scammers using secure messengers for hiring these days?
My GF has two nibbles on her resume, and both want her to communicate through either Signal or Telegram.
Edit: they requested banking info right off the bat. Said they use it to “confirm you have a checking account” to verify eligibility. Blocked them on Signal, reported to Indeed, for whatever that’s worth.
“Sir or ma’am I assure you it’s safe to send me your banking information. It’s over Signal, so it’s secure. I promise no one can steal it because its encrypted. That’s why we’re not using emails, emails are not secure. We need this information immediately, do not delay.”
Ding! Ding! Winner! Yep, they did the same. She was hopeful, but sketch and red flags won out. Too bad they have her info from her resume, and supposedly 10k applicants…
What field is this in? Sounds like a scam. My partner and I have easily done 10+ software development interviews in the last 3 months and never seen anything like it.
WhatsApp is a bit different since many countries use that instead of SMS. Suppose it depends on the culture of where you’re applying. Always pays to use caution though.
I live in a WhatsApp dominated country. Never have I ever been contacted by a recruiter or potential employer via WA, much less so from Signal or Telegram. First contact is either a phone call or an email. At some places I’ve worked on, WA has actually been banned and secure communication for work matters is only allowed via the official ICT managed channels. That was a security sensible company though. Other companies allow WA communication except for confidential information that should only move through company servers.
Sounds like a modern scam based on this extra info. I worked security in the banking industry for years. They use regular email and phone calls like everyone else.
Nah, there is no reason an employer needs to know anything about your banking details. Maybe some basic routing info if you’re doing direct deposit, but even then that’s after you get hired. This sounds all kinds of sketchy. I bet they used the words “kindly” and “dear” a lot.
Hi there, I’m back with your Interview Consideration results on my desk now!
For your consideration stand, you have a good news. The good news is… You’ve just been confirmed qualified for this position. You are welcome to Corrib Capital Management. You are now given a chance to show your commitment, charisma, diligence and be a productive employee.
Unless it's for a position where that's the standard, e.g. certain investigative journalism roles, I'd call it a red flag and have the scam sirens blaring. Although as a cybersec professional I'd be VERY curious to see where it goes and what their deal is. I'd MAYBE expect some security roles to request E2E encrypted email comms at a certain point in the hiring process depending on the project, there shouldn't be anything discussed pre-onboarding that necessitates using Signal.
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