The Architect of the Digital Identity Era. Building @vairee_ai to replace the 500-year-old resume. Talent over Keywords. CEO @Recberry. | #TalentOverKeywords
A recruiter asks you to:
Clone a GitHub repo • Open it in VS Code • Run it locally during an interview
Sounds normal for a developer.
‼️That's exactly why the scam works.
New hiring fraud campaigns are using fake technical interviews to distribute malware and steal credentials.
If you're job hunting in tech, read this. 👇
#CyberSecurity #DeveloperSecurity #TechHiring
https://t.co/36aBllaXbG
Senior developers are MORE vulnerable to interview scams, not less. The "I'll just run it and see what happens" mindset that makes you a good engineer is exactly what attackers exploit.
The rule:
👉Real companies use browser-based coding tools (CoderPad, Codespaces, HackerRank). If they insist on local execution in round 1, end the call.
Zero exceptions in 2026.
Source: Trend Micro Research, April 2026
https://t.co/cOExReuaHR
Step 3:
- they ask you to clone the repo, open it in VS Code specifically, and share your screen so they can "walk through the code with you."
👉the moment you run that code, you're compromised -> SSH keys, browser credentials, API keys — gone.
Save this thread if you're job hunting.
Share it with someone who is.
Recruitment fraud jumped 28% in 2025. The scams look professional now—but these verification steps still work.
4/ Never pay anything
Training fee? Processing charge? Certification cost? "ATS optimisation service"?
If they ask for money, it's not a real recruiter. It's a crime.
Legitimate recruiters are paid by the employer, never the candidate. In the EU, charging candidates is illegal
Recruitment fraud thrives because legitimate hiring is already exhausting enough to feel like a scam.
When real companies run 6-8 interview rounds, ghost candidates for weeks, demand unpaid work, and give zero feedback, they create the exact camouflage fraudsters need.
Companies with poor candidate experience see 50% lower application completion rates (CareerPlug, 2025).
The industry doesn't just have a fraud problem. It has a credibility problem.
Recruitment scams in 2026 don’t look like scams anymore.
They look like real hiring processes.
Until suddenly:
💸 “pay for certification”
💸 “processing fee required”
💸 “ATS optimisation service”
By then, trust is already built.
This article breaks down how this works + how to spot it early. https://t.co/a6i9Ffhmrr
5/ WhatsApp-only communication
No company email.
No LinkedIn message history.
Just WhatsApp or Telegram.
When you try to verify them on the company website, they give you reasons why you can't reach them there.
If they can't email you from a company domain, they don't work there.
A recruiter asking for money isn't a red flag.
It's a crime.
Recruitment fraud reports jumped 28% in 2025. The scams look real now—professional profiles, multi-round interviews, detailed feedback.
Here are 5 red flags that should stop you completely:
4/ Sensitive info before an offer
They want your bank details, passport scan, or national ID before you've signed anything or verified the company independently.
No legitimate recruiter needs your banking info before you've accepted a verified written offer.