Last Wednesday, I nearly handed client data to a “recruiter”
I received a video interview invite from a remote company. The interviewer said I could install an interview tool by sharing my screen, then show my quotes and apply for projects. The page looked almost identical to the legitimate one. My hand hovered over “Allow computer control.” Looking back, I had missed just one step: verifying the company through its official website. A job opportunity could have become an entry point for a data breach. Freelancers and small teams are especially busy. We fear missing out on projects, but it’s easy to mistake a stranger for a peer.
These fake interviews wear the clothes of real hiring
A report said North Korean-linked hackers used fake job interviews to induce targets to perform specific operations, then steal Binance assets, causing roughly $6.3 billion in losses. The technical details are complicated, but the warning signs are not hard to recognize: an unexpected high-paying job, an unfamiliar app to install, a request to share your screen or allow remote control, or a “test account” that requires verification codes and asset authorization.
I know Lin Yue, who takes web projects freelance. On October 17, 2026, she received an online interview invitation from an overseas company while working in a Hangzhou coworking space. They even included a screenshot of a business registration. She did not reply directly. Instead, she opened another browser, checked the company’s official website and contact details, then confirmed through email. The message said to “complete a device test first.” Only then did she notice that the sender’s address differed from the website domain by one letter.
Today’s replica: $0, about 30 minutes, and the ability to verify what’s real
Money: $0; Time: about 30 minutes; Technical barrier: knowing how to cross-check a company’s public email address and phone number. First step: when an unfamiliar interview invitation arrives, open the “Contact Us” page on the company’s official website and confirm the role using the phone number or email address listed there. Do not reply using the address in the original message. Once the company’s existence is confirmed, send your résumé to its publicly listed recruiting email. Download interview software only from the official website or an official app-store link. If anyone asks for a verification code, screen sharing, or remote control, pause and confirm through another channel.
Pick the version that fits my stage
If I’m just starting out, I’d make a two-minute verification checklist: check the website, check the email domain, and refuse remote control. There’s no need to rush to prove how professional I am. If I already have one or two clients, I’d keep interviews separate from existing client workflows, using separate devices, email accounts, and passwords so one fake link cannot take everything. If I’m scaling, I’d ask the team to pause whenever a high-paying urgent role or an unusual installation link appears, then write the verification steps into our hiring process. This is not a tool every freelancer must use. If I find work through referrals or apply through company websites, the added cost is minimal. Not checking every detail today is okay too. Start with this: don’t click unfamiliar links, don’t share verification codes, and don’t share your screen.