Scammers Are Targeting Your Hiring Process – Here’s How Titus Keeps You Safe
May 20, 2025
“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year.”
- Michael Scott: Manager, Mentor, Friend; Self Proclaimed, “World’s Best Boss”.
Estimated Read Time: 5-6 minutes
The Hidden Threat to Your Hiring Pipeline
One element that made The Office so funny and engaging was how it captured the essence of work. It felt so real, relatable, and yet so ridiculous. But there is nothing funny about modern-day scams in recruitment.
At Titus Talent Strategies, we pride ourselves on not only offering exceptional talent solutions to our partners but also on safeguarding their employer brand through vigilant security practices. One area where caution is needed is in the rising number of recruitment scams that impersonate legitimate companies. These scams are becoming more sophisticated by the day, and the consequences of falling victim can be significant – damaging your company’s reputation, compromising your hiring process, and creating liability for your organization.
The Growing Threat to Your Employer Brand
Recent statistics show a concerning trend: recruitment scams are on the rise, and they’re increasingly targeting respected employers. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the number of job scams surged by 118% in 2023 compared to the previous year. As many as 36% of job advertisements posted online are now found to be fake, and in 2023 alone, Americans lost around $450 million to fake job scams – each incident potentially damaging your company’s reputation and trust with candidates.
According to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker, employment scams have ranked as the second most risky scam type for three consecutive years. Even more alarming, the FBI’s Internet Crime Report reveals that employment scams resulted in over $68 million in losses in 2023, with the average victim suffering $3,000 in losses.
The online job market has become a fertile ground for scammers to exploit your company’s good name. According to LinkedIn’s Economic Graph Research, 84% of professionals have encountered a scam on professional networking platforms, with 42% reporting increased sophistication in scam attempts that mention legitimate companies. Fraudsters often impersonate reputable firms like those of our partners to gain trust, creating fake profiles on social media and job boards.
The Global Anti-Scam Alliance reports that 57% of employment scams now involve sophisticated digital forgery, including fake company websites that mimic legitimate businesses. These forgeries mean that while your organization has nothing to do with the scams, victims often will associate their pain with the company that was impersonated and not with the scammers who did the crime.
A Real-World Client Example
On a recent project, we engaged with a candidate who had been burned multiple times by scams masquerading as legitimate job opportunities. Understandably cautious, they initially ghosted our first scheduled conversation. It wasn’t until we provided detailed information about the company and the role that they felt comfortable enough to reconnect.
As we dug deeper, we discovered the root of their concern: they had trouble verifying the legitimacy of the company due to a lack of visible Glassdoor reviews and a simple typo in the company’s website URL, which led them to a dead end. A thoughtful conversation helped clear up the confusion and restore their confidence.
The role they were exploring—an Inside Sales/Customer Service position—sits in a category frequently targeted by fraudulent postings. In this case, trust wasn’t built through flashy job ads or generic outreach, but through clarity, transparency, and a human-to-human connection.
How to Spot When Your Company Is Being Impersonated
The tactics used by scammers who target your brand are becoming more advanced, but there are several red flags your team should be vigilant about:
- Candidate Inquiries About Suspicious Communications: If candidates reach out questioning communications they’ve received from your “recruiters,” investigate immediately. Establish a clear protocol for how your recruiting team should respond.
- Variations of Your Domain in Emails: Scammers often use domains that closely resemble your legitimate company email (e.g., your-company-careers@gmail.com or yourcompany-hr.com). Set up email alerts for similar domain registrations.
- Unapproved Job Postings: Regularly monitor job boards for unauthorized postings under your company name. According to Norton’s Cyber Safety Insights Report, 71% of companies discover scam postings through candidate inquiries rather than proactive monitoring.
- Suspicious Social Activity: Watch for unusual social media activity, including a surge in comments about job opportunities your team didn’t post or questions about application processes that don’t match your protocols.
- Complaints to HR: If your HR team begins receiving complaints about your “recruitment process” from people they’ve never interacted with, this is a strong indication of impersonation.
Proactive Prevention Strategies for Your Organization
The AARP Fraud Resource Center found that companies who implement clear verification protocols can reduce brand impersonation attempts by up to 40%. Here’s how Titus recommends protecting your organization:
- Create a verification system that candidates can use to confirm legitimate communications from your company.
- Centralize your recruiting efforts to prevent unauthorized job postings.
- Implement specific email signature protocols that are difficult for scammers to replicate.
- Register similar domains to your company to prevent domain squatting.
- Regularly audit job boards for unauthorized postings of your positions.
- Partner with specialized platforms—the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency reports that using dedicated recruitment partners with verification processes reduces scam exposure by up to 65%.
What Your Organization Should Do If Targeted
If you discover that your company is being impersonated in recruitment scams, it’s important to take immediate action:
- Publish a Fraud Alert: Post a clear notice on your company website and social channels alerting candidates to the scam and providing legitimate contact information.
- Contact Platform Providers: Reach out to job boards and social media platforms to have fraudulent postings removed. Most platforms have expedited processes for impersonation claims.
- Alert Your Legal Team: Document all instances of impersonation and consult with your legal team on potential trademark or brand protection actions.
- Notify Current Applicants: Send communications to all active candidates in your pipeline alerting them to the scam and providing verification steps for legitimate communications.
- Enhance Your Security Posture: Review and strengthen your recruitment communication protocols to prevent future impersonation.
Brand Recovery Steps
If your company has already been impersonated, take these immediate steps:
- Conduct a digital audit to identify all instances of impersonation.
- Issue a press release clarifying that your company has been impersonated.
- Establish a dedicated response team to handle inquiries from affected candidates.
- Implement brand monitoring tools to catch future impersonation attempts early.
- Rebuild trust and secure your hiring process by partnering with Titus.
According to Javelin Strategy & Research, companies that respond quickly to impersonation scams can reduce reputational damage by up to 60% compared to those with delayed responses.
Protect Your Company and Hiring Brand
At Titus, our primary goal is to empower our partners in their talent acquisition journey while protecting their employer brand. Being aware of the signs of recruitment scams is crucial for maintaining your company’s reputation and the integrity of your hiring process.
According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, businesses impersonated in recruitment scams face an average of $210,000 in reputational damage and legal costs per major incident.
Wrap-Up: Don’t Let Scammers Undermine Your Reputation
Recruitment scams don’t just hurt the individuals they target; they hurt your brand, your credibility, and your bottom line. In an age where trust is currency, staying vigilant and proactive is non-negotiable.
If your organization is being impersonated—or if you want to get ahead of potential threats—now is the time to act. Build stronger safeguards, educate your team, and empower your candidates with clarity and trust.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Partner with Titus Talent Strategies
At Titus, we do more than just find the right people, we protect your reputation, streamline your process, and elevate your brand in the talent marketplace. From creating fraud-proof candidate experiences to strengthening your employer identity, we are your strategic partner in hiring.
Ready to recruit with confidence?
Connect with us today at www.titustalent.com or reach out directly to our team to learn how we can support and safeguard your talent strategy.
TITUS INSIGHTS
Refreshing perspectives and practical expertise from the Titus team.
Committed To Radical Generosity
Our dedication to radical generosity keeps us focused on what matters most, and it allows us to make a trusted and lasting impact on the world around us. It’s the foundation of our culture and our partnerships.
