Have you ever encountered a suspicious job ad on social media or received an employment offer via WhatsApp? The reality is that fraudulent attempts are on the rise, necessitating increased vigilance to avoid falling victim to these schemes.
Adecco has issued a warning about the “increase in cyber fraud related to fake job offers, particularly through instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp.”
“This phenomenon, increasingly common in Portugal and globally, poses a real threat to candidates seeking new opportunities, as well as to companies whose identities are frequently misused,” the human resources company stated in a communication.
Adecco explains that the “practice is simple yet effective: cybercriminals impersonate credible companies or recruiters and contact candidates via WhatsApp, sharing fake job offers with dubious links, requests for personal data, or demands for payments to secure positions.”
“The informal tone of the messages and the platform’s popularity make the fraud difficult to detect and easy to scale,” the company further explained.
Quoted in the same statement, Alexandra Andrade, Country Manager of Adecco Portugal, clarified that “as recruitment becomes more digital, the risks associated with cyber fraud also increase. Protecting candidates begins with clear information and digital empowerment. Hence, it’s crucial for companies and professionals to remain vigilant and be ready to respond swiftly.”
In this context, the company considers that “at a time when the search for new opportunities is intensifying, it is essential to enhance digital literacy and promote safe behavior.”
To this end, Adecco provides “six best practices that can help candidates and companies protect themselves.” They are as follows:
- Always verify the source of the offer – Confirm that contacts come from official sources (such as institutional emails or verified websites) and be wary of messages received through informal channels.
- Do not share personal data via WhatsApp – Sensitive information should always be shared in secure environments and never in response to unsolicited messages.
- Never pay to secure a job – Legitimate recruitment processes never require advance payments.
- Report and block suspicious messages – If in doubt, report the contact to the platform used and immediately block the number.
- Inform yourself about the company’s process – Knowing how the company recruits, what steps it follows, and through which means it communicates can help detect fraud attempts.
- Promote cybersecurity training among teams – Raising awareness among employees is one of the most effective forms of defense. Knowing what to look for and how to act makes all the difference.
“The security of the recruitment experience is now a central pillar in talent management. In addition to protecting their own systems, organizations have the responsibility to communicate transparently with candidates, ensure the legitimacy of contacts, and promote cybersecurity as part of their culture,” Adecco concludes in the statement.
