In the last year of my VP‑Tech role, I spent five minutes at every all staff meeting offering quick cyber security tips to keep everyone safe.
It appears I need to offer the same advice on LinkedIn.
I am seeing a major uptick in scams related to job offers.
A month ago, a recruiter emailed me an offer for a $900 k AI strategy role that required a fee to “polish” my résumé.
I had a sophisticated scam play out a couple of months ago for Board Recruitment.
In this scam, I had to pay for myname.com (which I already own) and for them to build a website to promote my skills to potential organizations.
The entire thing fell apart because I already own the rodschatz.com domain and i just had to rebrand the site.
The this week alone, I have received two unique emails for an executive‑level “confidential search” where the recruiter uses a Gmail address.
The content was oddly generic, yet the tone felt personal.
Three lessons emerged from these play‑outs:
1. Skepticism beats convenience
A recruiter who asks for money or a custom domain is not a legitimate channel.
2. Domain ownership is a double‑edged sword
Owning your own domain can give scammers leverage to rebrand you online, but it also lets you spot inconsistencies quickly.
3. The email provider matters
A Gmail address for an executive offer should be the first red flag; legitimate firms use their corporate domains.
Scammers are not just guessing—they’re engineering every interaction to feel authentic.
Action for executives:
Verify any unsolicited job offer through the company’s official domain and LinkedIn profile.
Treat a request for money or a custom résumé build as a phishing test.
If an email lands in Gmail, flag it immediately.
Have you ever fallen into a job‑scam play‑out?
What was the first hint that something was off?
Stay safe out there!
#CyberSecurity #ExecutiveRecruiting #AI #ScamAwareness #Leadership