I got a message on LinkedIn about a job, it seems legit. The issue is as soon as I replied, she basically told me to apply as quickly as possible because it’s time sensitive.
I don’t know why this kind of rubs me the wrong way, I guess because I’m in a different time zone and I’m expected to literally drop everything for a job I might not even have an actual chance for.
Also she is the person who I would be working with, my potential future boss, and also the co owner of the company.
Am I overreacting? It just seems unnecessarily stressful idk. Also I’m very afraid of red flags now cause I ignored them at my last company and it was a nightmare.
Edit: I responded and asked some basic questions about the timezone/hours, and if applying in the next few hours would be ok, and she hasn’t responded in over an hour. Now I’m wondering if I should even bother applying :/
Rushing your decisions is a common red flag in scams. I’d say it’s probably enough of a red flag to stop talking with them. You can try to slow play things and if they continue to hound you then it’s almost certainly a scam. They’re probably going to do something like:
Ask you for money to purchase things you’ll need for your job (MLM/pyramid scheme)
Give you a large cheque, ask you to cash it, give a certain amount of the cash to someone, and keep the rest for yourself (cheque fraud).
I’m not really as worried about it being a scam, as I am about it being a toxic work environment idk … I’m very nervous
She is demanding before she is even your boss. It will only get worse from here.
See I was going to mention that but thought maybe it sounded egotistical. It’s weird that she is telling me what to do/commanding me before she is even my boss.
Idk if I have a problem with authority or something, or it’s just a red flag. I can honestly say I don’t know if I’ve ever had a boss that wasn’t at least a little bit sociopathic. The best one I’ve had basically just hid in his corner and let some nice lady supervise me.
It doesn’t sound like you do. Problem with authority and a problem with abused authority are two very different things. If you worked well under a kind boss then it’s clear you don’t have a problem with bosses, just with those that are demanding, commanding and micromanaging. Sounds to me like healthy boundaries for your mental health.
I think the consensus is don’t do it.
I wish someone would try the cheque one with me. I would cash it and keep it. I know usually the money gets pulled back but would be fun for a few minutes.
The only time this happened to me (received the request via indeed) was when their current person was leaving (only one in that position and was integral for the company to run) and they would have to temporarily shut down if they didn’t have someone new in.
But they were very upfront about it and I had an in-person interview and tour of the place beforehand.
You know what, don’t ignore your instincts. Everytime I did I regreted.
Honestly, I feel like job interviews and applications always give me the fight or flight response. To be fair I’ve never really had a boss that wasn’t awful, so that could be why. Idk.
I literally had a panic attack and ran out of the room during a phone interview once
I think it’s a red flag because rushing you (without a valid, stated reason) is an attempt to override your instincts while pressuring you to take a certain action. Outside of safety-related situations, that kind of situation has never gone in my favor.
If the job is in the orange area, it’s likely a scam
If it’s in the red area, it’s very likely that you’ll get your papers taken from you, then sold to slavery (scam farms, casinos etc…)
Image: https://imgur.com/a/ZZ1VqTI
It’s either a scam or a hellscape.
Why not both 😃 ngl the job description seemed a tiny bit… PACKED if you will
Dang, this reminds me of how genuinely helpful /r/Scams is and how we could develop an equivalent, thriving community here on Lemmy.
Anyway, vet the company and have a friend read the messages, or share them here. Do not do anything involving money (you should only be gaining it, not having to part ways with it), and the app sure as heck shouldn’t ask for your SSN at this time.
How to avoid getting scammed:
- DO NOT SEND MONEY
- DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY OR CHECKS
- DO NOT GIVE CREDIT CARD DETAILS
- DO NOT OPEN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WHILE SOMEONE IS CONNECTED TO YOUR DEVICE
- CALL THE INSTITUTION THAT THE OTHER CLAIMS TO BE AND VERIFY THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDED
- DO NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU KNOW IS STOLEN OR ILLEGAL TO PURCHASE
- BE AWARE OF COMMON SCAM SCRIPTS AND TACTICS
- IF YOU FALL IN LOVE ONLINE, MEET THEM IN PERSON
- DO. NOT. SEND. THEM. MONEY.
DO NOT ACCEPT MONEY OR CHECKS
And don’t send it back if you were forced to receive it and they demand it back, like via Venmo or Zelle.
Instructions unclear. Sent them dick pics.
It’s not a good idea to send them pictures of your face. They can use it for identity theft.
ALSO DO NOT SEND COPIES OF ANY DOCUMENT bank-card, passport, driving licence, not even from your librarycard
She hasn’t asked for anything suspicious yet, I’m more so worried it’s a toxic company and they won’t treat me well :/
Oh, so you think it’s legit and the company just sucks. Yeah, that’d be nearly as bad. What about reviews on Glassdoor or elsewhere?
I couldn’t find any. Just on some random website there were like four 5 star reviews. Either way she ghosted the fuck out of me so Im not going to apply. Absolutely pathetic how desperate she was to then ghost me
I got a message on LinkedIn about a job…
You can stop right there. That’s all the red flags you need.
Ive gotten real jobs this way.
Same, 2/3 of my most recent jobs came this way … doesn’t mean it’s not a potential red flag though
My previous one was from someone reaching out via indeed. I only left because it was supposed to be a temporary thing while I found a career job. Worked out for what it was.
Would it hurt just to talk? Maybe they can justify the rush. If you do, keep asking yourself “Will I be able to shake off that negative feeling further down the road” (Personally, if it doesn’t feel right then I would not do it. I always trust my gut feeling)
Idk, I responded to them with some basic questions and it’s been 40 mins and they haven’t replied… and I’m supposed to rush to apply still? I don’t know…
I’ve found that jobs that are actually hiring move quickly. They move from applications to interview within a few days. Constant talking about within the hour seems excessive.
Tbh it’s weird cause last time I applied to a job like this they seemed super interested and I had the right experience but then they just ghosted me lol
I haven’t applied to anything in over a year
There’s so many different companies that are just resume hunting. Don’t know why really
Sounds to me like she put her cards on the table and gave you a nice bargaining chip when it comes time to discuss compensation.
I’m not great at reading between the lines. What’s the bargaining chip in this case? 😅
If they need someone THAT fast, it means they are desperate, and nobody else wants the job.
My office has an opening, but we’re doing fine for now, so we can wait for the right person, instead of hiring the first person to send in an app.
I’m just worried cause I responded quickly, also has some basic quick questions, and it’s been almost an hour and I haven’t heard back from her. So I’m wondering if she just doesn’t want to deal with me anymore. And it’s furthering my red flag detector tbh
Based on other information you shared, it kind of sounds like they get a commission on the number of applications they provide for the “client”. They probably don’t know or care if you’re qualified for the position.
Should I bother applying then :/
No lol
It’s time sensitive - she needs someone to fill this position right now. If it’s so time sensitive, she might be willing to pay more than she normally would to get someone to do so.
She said the pay is stated by me, and then she discusses it with the client to see how much they’re willing to pay basically
She said the pay is stated by me, …
“Hurry and apply immediately” and “You determine the compensation”? Fucking run. There is no way that’s not a scam.
I men she’ll probably get back to me and be like “the client said the most they can do is 18 an hour”
Anyway she hasn’t even responded to my attempt at basic communication so I won’t be applying cause I don’t want to work for someone like that
“you determine your own pay” is also a common MLM/pyramid scheme flag.
I just came across this posted elsewhere. Sound familiar at all?
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/03/i-spoke-to-a-task-scammer-heres-how-it-went
Well based on the job description it doesn’t sound this way, but who knows what’ll happen
So it’s a recruiter for a contractor company? They sometimes get bonuses if they fill the position within a certain time so it might be why they are so pushy. Also recruiters are working against other agencies so they will be super pushy or if it sounds like you are not on board they will just drop the conversation and move to another mark.
I just asked about what time zone the hours are in… she just asked if it’s a “full time job” and I also asked if I can apply within a few hours if that’s ok… she can say it’s not and I’ll try to do it quicker but idk how long it would take me to format my resume
Anyway guess she dgaf
She is the co owner of the company it’s like a startup type thing where they find people virtual admin assistants
Proceed with caution. It’d be a shame if you missed a good opportunity all because they just want to get you started soon, but keep an eye out for other flags, like having to pay for anything before you can start, or learning details about the job that don’t match the description in the job posting.
I’ve decided I won’t apply unless she responds to my basic attempt at communication. I don’t want to work for a boss like this.
Maybe they fired someone and want to replace them ASAP.
Ugh
It could also be that their hair is genuinely on fire and they need someone fast. You don’t always need to assume the worst. I’d be upfront and ask what the rush is. If they’re open about it and give sensible answers it may be OK. If they get pissy, walk away.
I mean they haven’t responded to me in over 2 hrs despite telling me to hurry TF up with my application so I guess they don’t need me anymore
They may have a strict period when they are accepting applications. No idea about your employer but it happens quite often with public bodies and large corporations.
It’s more of like a small business/start up type of thing, but I guess they want to find the solution (employee) quickly for their client.
It sounds like they found themselves in a situation they are not prepared to handle, and they are attempting to rush you through a major decision to compensate. It may not be malicious or a scam, and it may be a fluke that is not indicative of the normal pace and handling of their business, but it does not signal a healthy well run organization. If you do choose to proceed, do so with some level of caution and awareness of that fact. Do not give them any money, and if they give you any information that alarms or frightens you, slow the process down to give your self more time to evaluate.
I’ve decided not to apply unless they respond at my basic communication attempt. I don’t want to work for someone that gets me excited about an opportunity and then doesn’t even bother following through at all.
The only thing I ever got from LinkedIn was scams. I’d bet this is a scam, sight unseen.
When they tell you the interview a teams-only text you’ll know for sure.
