"I Even Had the Interview"... Lost 32 Million Won in an Instant, What Happened?

Fake Recruiters Target Job Seekers
Video Interviews and Malicious Apps... Scams Grow More Sophisticated

Amid a challenging job market, "fake interview" scams targeting job seekers are on the rise. Scammers pose as real recruiters, conduct interviews, and then trick candidates into installing files or applications containing malicious software.

On September 4 (local time), the BBC in the UK reported that scams disguised as recruitment are proliferating on major job platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed.

According to the BBC, one victim received an interview offer from a fake recruiter on LinkedIn and proceeded with a video interview that resembled a legitimate hiring process. Afterward, the victim was sent a Google spreadsheet purportedly containing a technical assessment. Following the instructions, the victim completed the assignment, unaware that the document contained hidden malware.

While the victim slept after completing the assignment, hackers accessed his cryptocurrency account and stole all his savings, totaling 18,000 pounds (approximately KRW 32 million).

The victim told the BBC, "It was devastating to realize I had lost my money," adding, "I hope no one else goes through this." He continued, "I reset my computer and changed all my passwords," and confessed, "I have been completely drained both mentally and emotionally."

According to data released by LinkedIn, 32% of young professionals have been exposed to job-related scams. LinkedIn explained, "As competition in the job market intensifies, many young people feel there is a lack of opportunity and don't even have the luxury of being suspicious."

Experts point out that recent recruitment scams have become so sophisticated they are difficult to distinguish from legitimate hiring processes.

Cybersecurity researcher Jushin Brijai said, "This was not a sloppy email with a suspicious attachment," adding, "The victim went through what appeared to be a genuine interview process using a real Google page and login environment, and the software he was told to install was digitally signed and seemed like a legitimate app."

Indeed has also reported cases where fake interviews were used to lure users into installing malicious apps. Criminals prompted job seekers to install bogus 'Indeed Interview' or 'MyInterview' apps. If a malicious app is downloaded, hackers can access personal data on the device, which may be used for extortion or financial crimes.

Indeed stated, "All interviews on the Indeed platform are conducted via browsers, and there is no need to download any separate app." The company warned, "Any message asking you to install an app to attend an interview is not a legitimate request."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.