the Fraudian Slip Podcast: Socure – Identity Criminals Target Consumers with Fake Jobs

Summary 

• Sometime this next week, you will likely receive a text from someone who claims to be a job recruiter. It will be fake. While legitimate job boards are less likely to have fake jobs, being listed on a mainstream website is no longer a guarantee that the website, the company or the listing is real due to the use of artificial intelligence. 
• It is not only consumers ending up in the crosshairs. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) sat down with Jordan Burris, Head of Public Sector at Socure and a member of the ITRC Board of Directors, to discuss how Socure found itself in the middle of a job scam. Burris also discussed what Socure learned and what businesses can do to protect themselves. 
• ITRC CEO, Eva Velasquez, also joined the podcast to react to the Socure story, discuss signs people should look for to identify fake jobs and give tips on how individuals can keep themselves as safe as possible from job scams. 
• You can learn more about the topics discussed in this podcast by visiting our company website, www.idtheftcenter.org. If you think you are the victim of an identity crime or a fake jobs scam, call or text the ITRC toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on our webpage to speak with an expert advisor.  

Below is a transcript of our podcast with our special guest, Jordan Burris of Socure 

Welcome to the Fraudian Slip, the Identity Theft Resource Center’s (ITRC) podcast, where we talk about all things identity theft, fraud and scams that impact people and businesses. This month’s episode focuses on the hot topic of fake jobs. 

Chances are that sometime in the past week or this week, you will receive a text from someone claiming to be a job recruiter. It will be fake. 

You may be looking for a job and have responded to a job posting on a job search app or social media platform, such as LinkedIn. Those are more likely not to be fake jobs. However, being listed on a mainstream website is no longer a guarantee that the website, the company or the listing is real. They may look real thanks to artificial intelligence. 

With uncertainty creeping into the job market at the same time cybercriminals are honing their scam skills, it’s a tough time to be looking for work. The risk doesn’t impact just job seekers – businesses are also caught in the crosshairs of this battle. 

Job scams are among the top three reasons identity theft, fraud and scam victims contact the ITRC. Here to talk about what’s happening when it comes to fake jobs is Jordan Burris of Socure and a member of the ITRC Board of Directors, as well as a former White House cybersecurity staffer. Also, as always, Eva Velasquez, the ITRC’s CEO, is here to discuss how these trends affect individuals. 

We talked with Jordan Burris about the following: 

• The story of how Socure ended up impacted by a job scam 
• What Socure learned from the experience 
• Actions businesses can take to protect themselves from fake jobs and related job scams 

We talked with Eva Velasquez about the following: 

• Her reaction to the Socure job scam 
• The most common signs that a job offer might be a scam and what type of information criminals want 
• What job seekers should do to protect themselves 

Contact the ITRC 

If you think you have been the victim of an identity crime, a fake jobs scam or want to avoid becoming one, you can speak with an expert ITRC advisor about your identity issues. We’re available on the phone or via text (888.400.5530), you can chat with us live on the web or send us an email during normal business hours (6 a.m.-5 p.m. PT). Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.  

Please hit the like button for this episode and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Join us next week for our sister podcast, the Weekly Breach Breakdown. Until then, thanks for listening.