Another "Recruiter" Says They're Not Selling a Service... Until the End
I've seen this pattern enough times that I recognize it almost immediately.
A recruiter reaches out with a "confidential search" for a role that seems tailored to your background. The message is highly personalized, highlighting your experience and accomplishments. It looks legitimate.
So I asked a very direct question:
"Is this a true recruitment opportunity or are you selling a service (resume, career, etc.)?"
The response?
"This is a genuine recruitment opportunity, not a resume, career-coaching, or other paid service offer."
Sounds reassuring... right?
The conversation continued with detailed job descriptions, salary ranges, and responsibilities. Everything appeared legitimate.
Then came the familiar next step.
"Send me your current resume."
If you've followed these scams before, you know what often comes next.
This is where many job seekers eventually hear that their resume "needs work," they're not positioned correctly, or they need help standing out before they can be presented to the employer. That's when the sales pitch begins.
I'm not saying that's what would have happened here—I chose not to continue the conversation before it reached that point. But it follows a pattern I've documented many times.
Another detail that caught my attention was the email address used to contact me.
The recruiter somehow found my moogie14a@aim.com email address—a mailbox I haven't actively used in years. Not exactly the email address I'd expect a professional recruiter to find first.
This is why I encourage every job seeker to ask direct questions early in the conversation.
If someone says they are not selling a service, that's a good start—but don't stop asking questions.
The real concern isn't just wasting time.
The fear is that someone pays hundreds of dollars through PayPal, Zelle, cryptocurrency, Cash App, or another payment method, only to discover they never receive what was promised—or have little chance of recovering their money.
I'll continue documenting these interactions, the tactics being used, and the warning signs so others can recognize them before it's too late.
Follow my blog for additional recruiting scam investigations, screenshots, and real-world examples:
Stay skeptical.
Ask questions.
Verify everything.
Trust your instincts.
Is It Really a Recruiter... or a Sales Pitch?
Have you ever been contacted by a recruiter with an "exclusive opportunity" that wasn't posted anywhere?
I was.
What happened next raised more red flags with every message.
The conversation moved from LinkedIn to Microsoft Teams, questions went unanswered, and what appeared to be a recruiting opportunity took a very different turn.
If you're actively looking for your next role, you need to know what to watch for before you invest your time—or your money.
I break down the entire interaction, the warning signs, and what happened next in this video.
🎥 Watch here: https://nielflamm.com/videos/scams
The Scammers Didn't Waste Any Time
A few moments ago, I shared the results of a behavioral assessment I completed as part of a job application.
It took about 15 minutes before I started receiving connection requests from what appear to be resume and recruiting scammers.
In this case, the profiles were Grace Isborne and Patricia Renee. I've attached screenshots of their profiles and our conversations so you can see what caught my attention.
A few observations that raised red flags:
Very limited profile history.
Both reference Harvard in some way.
No recommendations.
Generic recruiter messaging with little personalization.
Could these be new recruiters? Possibly. But when you're in an active job search, it's worth slowing down and verifying whom you're speaking with before sharing personal information, your resume, or paying for any services.
Scammers know job seekers are looking for opportunities, and they move quickly.
Stay aware. Stay skeptical. Verify first.
If you'd like to follow my ongoing experiences with job searching, recruiting scams, and career insights, follow along at NielFlamm.com/blog.
Have you encountered similar recruiting or LinkedIn scams? Share your experience in the comments so others can learn from it.
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com/blog.
Recruiter... or Resume Sales Pitch? You Decide.
Ever receive a message on LinkedIn that looks like the start of a great career opportunity, only for the conversation to take an unexpected turn?
I recently had an interaction that left me scratching my head. It started like a normal recruiter conversation but quickly shifted into something that felt very different.
Was it a legitimate recruiting discussion, clever marketing, or something in between?
I'll let you decide.
Watch the full video and see the entire conversation for yourself at https://NielFlamm.com/videos/scams.
While you're there, check out the rest of my Internet Garbage—you never know what strange story, movie review, or life experience I'll post next.