{"id":59212,"date":"2025-02-26T06:57:25","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?p=59212"},"modified":"2025-02-26T06:57:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T14:57:25","slug":"i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/","title":{"rendered":"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><em>\u201cFalling for a job scam is like climbing<\/em> Everest.<em> Except when you get to the top, you slip and tumble \u2014<\/em><em> rag doll, head to toe \u2014 <\/em><em>all the way back to the bottom. And you know you\u2019re in for some big trouble.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is how freelance creative director Myldwin Pierre describes his gut-sinking experience of falling victim to a job scam last year.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Myldwin\u2019s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After months of job searching and multiple interviews, Myldwin got the offer of his dreams \u2014 a fully remote art director role with a Fortune 500 cosmetic company.<\/p>\n<p>Everything about it was great \u2014 <em>until it wasn\u2019t<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Blinded by the allure of job security, Myldwin fell victim to a well-orchestrated scam which ultimately resulted in him divulging all of his personal and tax information to an imposter.<\/p>\n<p>This scammer got through <em>most <\/em>of the standard checkpoints waving a green flag. And for the warning signs? Well, Myldwin admits he may have turned a blind eye in hopes of landing a great job.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the thing with these scammers \u2014 they catch you when you\u2019re the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-59229 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WordPress-Blog-Images-12.png\" alt=\"job scam statistic \" width=\"547\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WordPress-Blog-Images-12.png 625w, https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/WordPress-Blog-Images-12-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In January 2025,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7290497171676704771\">1,200+ members of our online creative community<\/a> admitted to falling victim to a job scam requesting personal information or payment.<\/li>\n<li>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/news\/press-releases\/2024\/12\/new-ftc-data-show-skyrocketing-consumer-reports-about-game-online-job-scams\">recent data from the Federal Trade Commission<\/a>, reported losses to job scams totaled more than $220 million in the first half of 2024 alone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>1. The Bait<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Myldwin\u2019s LinkedIn profile indicated he was \u201copen to work.\u201d When he received an InMail (direct message from someone outside of your network) from a recruiter, he wasn\u2019t at all surprised. To check the legitimacy of the message, he confirmed the sender was a real recruiter by searching their profile on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c[The recruiter was] actively engaging on the platform, and their profile showed their employer as the Fortune 500 company they stated they worked for via their message. Everything checked out,\u201d Myldwin told us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Green flag. <\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. The Initial Bite<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After a short email exchange, Myldwin was quickly offered a chat-based interview via WhatsApp without video. An interview on this platform raised some suspicion, but this was a multinational company, and he assumed this was their interview process. So, he didn\u2019t question it and proceeded with an open mind.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSpeed is the name of the game in hiring, I know that. Rushing into the interview process didn\u2019t alarm me,\u201d Myldwin shared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Green-ish flag.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. The Trap Sprung<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Myldwin completed multiple interviews with the supposed hiring manager \u2014 with frequent assurances that he was doing well, stating he was \u201cin line to be offered the position.\u201d Shortly thereafter, he was offered the job and rushed into a seemingly standard onboarding process.<\/p>\n<p>Eager to start, Myldwin completed a stack of new hire tax paperwork, including an I-9 and a W-4, and sent it back. These forms include personal information such as complete mailing address, Social Security number, and employee signature.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI believed this was a legitimate process,\u201d Myldwin admitted. \u201cI was excited to work for this company; I wasted no time getting those forms back to them.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Green flag. <\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. The Scam Revealed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Then, the alarms began to sound. After completing the onboarding paperwork, the scammer stated that all employees are responsible for <strong>paying for their remote workstation equipment<\/strong> up front via PayPal, but that they would ultimately get reimbursed.<\/p>\n<p><em>RED FLAG! <\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. The Realization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Worried, Myldwin retraced his steps. He noticed the email address provided in the initial contact via InMail was off. \u00a0So, he messaged this supposed recruiter directly and her response put a pit in his stomach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat person you\u2019re emailing with is not me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The PayPal account where Myldwin was instructed to remit payment was not listed under the company name, and the username did not match the supposed recruiter he\u2019d been communicating with.<\/p>\n<p>It became abundantly clear that Myldwin was being scammed. And knowing that he handed over all his personal information to this stranger had him riddled with fear and frustration.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>6. The Aftermath<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Back on WhatsApp, he denied payment to the imposter and tried to push them to admit their fraudulence. They ultimately stopped responding and are now completely untraceable.<\/p>\n<p>So there Myldwin sits, back at the bottom of the metaphorical mountain, with no job, hours of wasted time, and now completely compromised personal information.<\/p>\n<p>Myldwin thankfully has not yet seen any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aura.com\/learn\/i-gave-my-social-security-number-to-a-scammer\">signs of Social Security number fraud<\/a>, identity theft, or financial loses. He watches his credit reporting like a hawk, hoping the scammer was ultimately just in it for the \u201cworkstation\u201d PayPal payment, which he didn\u2019t send. He hopes the exchange of onboarding paperwork was just more bait to get him to pay up.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThese scammers are like drug mules. They probably send messages, like the one they sent me, to hundreds of people. Not everyone falls for it, but a handful do get through. And the payouts from those folks are worth the effort,\u201d Myldwin explained.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h1><strong>The Red Flags<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-59234\" src=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/18.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"465\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/18.png 625w, https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/18-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Keep on high alert for an imposter \u2014 remember these warning signs.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>You receive an unsolicited direct message, text message, or email.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Scammer messages <em>appear <\/em>to be written by a reputable recruiting company or brand. They\u2019re usually incredibly convincing, encouraging you to apply for a high-paying job in an industry that closely aligns with your LinkedIn profile, and offers flexible working hours. If this unsolicited opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The email domain doesn\u2019t match the name of company outlined in the email. <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If the email is from a personal account or public domain, like Gmail or Yahoo, you might have a scammer on your hands. Sometimes the email address will have slight misspellings to appear legitimate \u2014 verify the email domain, and the name of the sender, carefully.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The job offer is time-sensitive.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Scammers create a sense of urgency to keep you engaged and make you act quickly. While there is a fast lane in hiring at times, don\u2019t let anyone unverified rush you in the process.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The majority of communication is on a chat app.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Legitimate hiring teams should conduct interviews by phone or through traditional company channels. If your correspondence is being moved to a chat app, like WhatsApp, request a more traditional platform.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The hiring manager requests payment or banking information.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Honest employers will never ask employees to pay up front fees to process paperwork or pay for equipment. And they certainly won\u2019t ask you to pay via a cash app like Venmo or PayPal.<\/p>\n<p>Banking information should only be provided once you\u2019re fully onboard, via a secure system.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><strong>The Learnings<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-59236\" src=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/19.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/19.png 625w, https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/19-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to find a job. And It\u2019s tempting to latch onto any job offer that comes your way, but this is when you need to be the most vigilant.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the biggest risks to your personal data are low-tech \u2014 no hacking necessary. The scammer reels in vulnerable job seekers and gains their trust, then those people willingly hand their information over, and it\u2019s downhill from there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pause. Assess. Question.<\/strong><br \/>\nNever share personal information like Social Security numbers, bank details, or other sensitive data without definitively verifying the source. Research the hiring manager and\/or company first, and if you\u2019re still slightly skeptical, respectfully and directly ask them to confirm their legitimacy while also reaffirming your interest in the position.<\/p>\n<p>And always trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.<\/p>\n<p>For a safe and secure job search experience, Myldwin encourages job seekers \u2014 especially freelancers \u2014 to link arms with a recruiter they trust, \u201cThe saving grace for me is working with Creative Circle for nearly 20 years now.\u201d \u00a0Myldwin has worked with eight trusted Creative Circle recruiters over the years and has been placed on dozens of jobs. When our recruiters email Myldwin, from their verified email address (\u2705), he knows the offer is legitimate.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Information Creative Circle Asks For<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-59237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"443\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20.png 625w, https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/20-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Creative Circle does not send unsolicited text messages to job-seekers. We will never request you to provide personal information via a text message, email, or LinkedIn mail.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Creative Circle will not send or request money to purchase equipment, or ask for your credit card information during the hiring process.<\/p>\n<p>If you are contacted by someone that claims to be a recruiter for Creative Circle, ensure the domain is @creativecircle.com, @e.creativecircle.com, @creativecircle.live, @jobalert.creativecircle.com, @backofficeportal.com, or @mail1.clearlyrated.com. If it\u2019s not, this communication did not come from our team and is likely imposter spam.<\/p>\n<p>To further protect yourself from job scams, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/candidate-cyber-security\/?hsCtaAttrib=150111931695\">review this full list of information we do and don\u2019t ask for<\/a>. And if you\u2019re ever skeptical about a communication or job offer from our team, contact us at <a href=\"mailto:cyberquestions@creativecircle.com\">cyberquestions@creativecircle.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About the Author.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer \u2014 when she\u2019s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you\u2019re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, <a href=\"https:\/\/p.creativecircle.com\/newsletter\">subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/creative-circle\">follow us on LinkedIn<\/a> to ensure you never miss the latest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cFalling for a job scam is like climbing Everest. Except when you get to the top, you slip and tumble \u2014 rag doll, head to toe \u2014 all the way back to the bottom. And you know you\u2019re in for some big trouble.\u201d\u00a0 This is how freelance creative director Myldwin Pierre describes his gut-sinking experience [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":59213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,94,87],"tags":[260,261,262,263,264,265,266,126,267,268],"class_list":["post-59212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-as-a-freelancer","category-lifestyle","category-perspectives","tag-fraud","tag-imposter","tag-job-board","tag-job-scam","tag-job-scammer","tag-linkedin","tag-phishing","tag-red-flag","tag-scammer","tag-victim"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.1 (Yoast SEO v25.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For | Creative Circle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Job scams are on the rise. And in today&#039;s job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Job scams are on the rise. And in today&#039;s job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Creative Circle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CreativeCircleStaffing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-26T14:57:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1256\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kailey Pagano\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Creative_Circle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Creative_Circle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kailey Pagano\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/\",\"name\":\"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For | Creative Circle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-26T14:57:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b49e48861635c26a63e970d27551aea\"},\"description\":\"Job scams are on the rise. And in today's job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png\",\"width\":2400,\"height\":1256},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/\",\"name\":\"Creative Circle\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b49e48861635c26a63e970d27551aea\",\"name\":\"Kailey Pagano\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d4810da60cfdd4548386a82db74413f595726343dab78fd3ea3b370eb4dba38?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d4810da60cfdd4548386a82db74413f595726343dab78fd3ea3b370eb4dba38?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kailey Pagano\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/author\/kpagano\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For | Creative Circle","description":"Job scams are on the rise. And in today's job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For","og_description":"Job scams are on the rise. And in today's job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/","og_site_name":"Creative Circle","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CreativeCircleStaffing","article_published_time":"2025-02-26T14:57:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2400,"height":1256,"url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kailey Pagano","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Creative_Circle","twitter_site":"@Creative_Circle","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kailey Pagano","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/","url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/","name":"I Fell Victim to a Job Scam: Red Flags to Watch For | Creative Circle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png","datePublished":"2025-02-26T14:57:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b49e48861635c26a63e970d27551aea"},"description":"Job scams are on the rise. And in today's job market, it\u2019s tempting to latch onto any offer that comes your way \u2014 this is when you need to be vigilant.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/i-fell-victim-to-a-job-scam-red-flags-to-watch-for\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/word-press-featured-image-13.png","width":2400,"height":1256},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/","name":"Creative Circle","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b49e48861635c26a63e970d27551aea","name":"Kailey Pagano","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d4810da60cfdd4548386a82db74413f595726343dab78fd3ea3b370eb4dba38?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d4810da60cfdd4548386a82db74413f595726343dab78fd3ea3b370eb4dba38?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kailey Pagano"},"url":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/author\/kpagano\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}