Overview
The victim expects to interview with a company for a position, particularly in cryptocurrency, programming or other software position.
How It Works
The scammer, posing as a recruiter or hiring manager, finds victims through ads placed on job search sites.
The scam typically begins on a job board such as Indeed or LinkedIn, but could also start with a targeted SMS or other message.
The scammer convinces the victim to complete a programming test or code challenge as part of the interview process.
The scammer convinces the victim to download a code package from GitHub or other legitimate website as part of the interview process. Unbeknownst to the victim, the package actually consists of malware. The purpose of the malware is usually data exfiltration or cryptocurrency theft.
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Related Crime Schemes
A particular instance of this scam may embed one or more of these related schemes.
Data Loss or Theft: Any scheme that results in victim losing data/scammer stealing data. Data in this context can mean login credentials, credit card details, or other personal or corporate information.
Fraudulent Platform: Any scheme that relies on custom built software that assists the crime. Includes fraudulent trading platforms, fraudulent clickworking platforms, and the like.
Victim Targeting Context
The scammer may use one or more of the following techniques to reach the victim.
Targeted Conversational Approach: The scammer approaches the victim through targeted, topical online conversation.
Social Engineering: Psychological Manipulations
The scammer may use one or more of these psychological techniques to accomplish the scam.
Authority: The scammer employs an abuse of a position of authority to convince the victim to go along with the scam.
Flattery: The scammer uses praise or flattery to increase the likelihood that the victim will go along with the scam.
Urgency: The scammer employs urgency to increase the likelihood that the victim will take action.
Social Engineering: Impersonation Techniques
The scammer may impersonate one or more of the following groups as part of the scam.
Business or NonProfit: The scammer impersonates a business or nonprofit.