Job scams surge 118% in 2023 — ITRC report
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) revealed a striking 118% increase in job scams in 2023 despite an overall decline in identity crimes.
ITRC’s latest report — supported by the ITRC’s Alliance for Identity Resilience — highlights the evolving tactics of identity thieves and the growing threat of job scams.
These scams were predominantly carried out through reputable job search platforms such as LinkedIn. Scammers posed as recruiters, posting fake job listings to steal personal information during the supposed interview process.
Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the ITRC, noted, “Job scams have been around since there were jobs, but they’ll continue to grow because of a number of external factors that are occurring.”
Google voice scams remain prevalent
In 2023, Google Voice scams continued to be the most reported scam to the ITRC, making up 60% of scam reports. These scams were primarily carried out through social media platforms like Facebook.
While the overall reports of identity crimes decreased by 16 percentage points in 2023, the ITRC observed an 11-percentage-point increase in attempted identity misuse, particularly related to financial accounts.
Compromised credentials made up 53% of reported identity crimes, with actual misuse accounting for 38% and attempted misuse for 2%.
AI’s role in amplifying scams
The rise in job scams is partly attributed to the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), which has enabled scammers to create more convincing job listings and recruitment messages.
GenAI tools help refine the pitch to make it more believable and compensate for cultural and grammatical differences in language usage.
This technological advancement has made it increasingly difficult for job seekers to distinguish between legitimate opportunities and scams.
Impact on victims and businesses
Despite the decrease in overall identity crime reports, the impact on victims remains severe. The ITRC’s report highlights that identity thieves are becoming more adept at appearing legitimate, using stolen information to open new accounts and evade law enforcement.
Velasquez emphasized the damaging effects on individuals and businesses, stating, “The impact on people and businesses is arguably more damaging at a time when there are too many identity crime victims and too few resources to help them.”
The ITRC’s 2023 Trends in Identity Report highlights the shifting landscape of identity crimes, with a notable increase in job scams driven by advancements in AI.
As scammers become more sophisticated, the need for vigilance and robust identity protection measures becomes ever more critical.
