How to Tell if a Recruiter Is a Bot or a Scam (And Why You Keep Getting Ghosted)
If you've been active on LinkedIn lately, chances are you've received at least one message from a recruiter that made you wonder: "Is this person real, or am I being scammed?"
Okay, let's talk about something that's driving me absolutely crazy right now. As someone who's been coaching job seekers for over 20 years, I have people messaging me every single day asking this exact question. And honestly? I don't blame you for being confused. The recruiting world has gotten wild, and not in a good way.
The Truth About Automated Recruiting Messages
Here's what most people don't realize, and it's going to blow your mind: when you get that initial message saying "It looks like you're a perfect fit for our qualifications," the recruiter probably hasn't even looked at your profile yet. I know, I knowâit's frustrating.
Recruiters are using automated systems on LinkedIn that blast out messages to hundreds of candidates who meet certain criteria. So when you receive that message, they're basically lying about having seen your qualifications.
Here's what's really happening:
Your optimized LinkedIn profile shows up in their search results
The automated system sends you a generic message
When you respond, it alerts the recruiter that you're real and interested
Only then do they actually look at your full profile
They decide whether to move forward or just...disappear
This explains why so many people tell me, "J.T., I get excited about an opportunity, respond enthusiastically, and then get ghosted!" Now you know why. Do I think this automated approach is right? Absolutely not. I think recruiters should be transparent about sending initial bot emails. But unfortunately, that's not what most companies are doing.
Red Flags: How to Spot a Legitimate Recruiter
Before you ever respond to any recruiter message, do me a favor and do some detective work. I'm serious about this.
Check if the recruiter actually exists. Go find them on LinkedIn. Can you actually find their profile? Do they work for the company they claim to represent? If you can't find them, that's a huge red flag.
Verify the job posting. Don't just check their LinkedIn feedâgo directly to the company's corporate website. Is this position actually listed there? If the job doesn't exist on their official careers page, something's fishy.
Look, is this foolproof? No. But it's going to help you weed out obvious scams and determine if the opportunity is legitimate and if the recruiter is actually a human being.
The Golden Rules of Safe Job Searching
Even if everything checks out initially, you still need to stay vigilant throughout the process. Here are my non-negotiable rules, and pleaseâI cannot stress this enoughâfollow them:
Never give personal information via message. Real recruiters will have secure systems for collecting sensitive data. They won't ask for your Social Security number or banking information through LinkedIn messages.
Demand a real conversation. Never, ever accept a job offer without talking to a real person on camera. I literally just had someone message me who went through an entire "interview process"âincluding a technical interviewâbut never saw anyone's face. His wife wisely said, "Something doesn't feel right. You haven't talked to a real person or had a real face-to-face interview."
When he reached out to the company's HR department directly on LinkedIn, they immediately told him the whole thing was a scam.
Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is. Nobody's going to hire you sight unseen, and be very leery of these "interviews" where someone's on the other side but you're not seeing anyone.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Unfortunately, folks, you've got to be careful at every turn. Scammers are getting more sophisticated, creating fake job postings, impersonating real companies, and preying on desperate job seekers.
I'm so sorry that this is what we're dealing with right now. Technology is supposed to help us, not make everything harder. But this is our reality, and we're going to have to learn to deal with it.
The good news? Once you know what to look for, these scams become much easier to spot. And when you do connect with legitimate recruiters, you'll be able to have more confident, productive conversations.
Take Control of Your LinkedIn Presence
The best defense against these scams is having a strong, optimized LinkedIn presence that attracts legitimate opportunities. When your profile is properly set up and you're actively engaging on the platform in the right way, real recruiters are more likely to find youâand you'll have an easier time distinguishing between authentic outreach and automated spam.
This is exactly why my team and I are doing LinkedIn profile reviews this month. It's a $250 value that you get for free when you join Work It DAILY for just $39 a month. You can cancel at the end of the month if you want, but you'll get that LinkedIn profile review where we video record your profile and tell you exactly what to fix.
You'll also get my training, my live sessions, and everything you need to really fix your job search right now. Because let me tell you somethingâsitting there scrolling until your eyes are blurry and filling out endless online applications only to be ghosted? That's not job search. That's just torture.
You should be working smarter, not harder. Job search shouldn't take you forever once you understand the new rules of the game.
Ready to learn the right way to do this? Visit www.workitdaily.com to join our community for $39 a month. Get that LinkedIn profile review and let's help you navigate this crazy job market the smart way.
Go get âem!
J.T. OâDonnell
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