Crypto glossary
Fake job offer scam
A fake job offer scam uses invented recruitment, interviews or paid online tasks to infect a candidate's computer with malware or to extract crypto deposits.
There are two main variants. The first targets developers and crypto workers: a recruiter on LinkedIn, Telegram or a job board offers an attractive role and asks the candidate to run a coding test, clone a repository or install a video-call app. The file contains malware that steals wallet extensions, browser passwords and keys, or opens a backdoor into the employer's systems.
The second targets ordinary job seekers with task scams. Victims are paid small sums for rating products or boosting apps, then told they must deposit crypto to unlock higher-paying tasks. Balances grow on screen but can never be withdrawn. Security researchers have tied the developer-focused campaigns to North Korean groups, while task scams are often run by the same networks behind pig butchering.
Warning signs include interviews that skip video, pressure to run unknown code on a personal machine, offers far above market rates and any job that requires paying in first. Running tests inside a disposable virtual machine reduces the damage if a file is malicious.
Example
A blockchain developer receives a take-home assignment from a startup recruiter, runs npm install on the provided repository and a hidden script uploads the seed phrases from his browser wallet.