I recently fell victim to an extremely well crafted hiring scam. If logging on to LinkedIn is part of your morning routine like mine, chances are you’ve seen some posts floating around warning others about an increase in hiring scams within the games industry.
Here are some tips to stay vigilant and avoid falling for one like I did.
Double Check All Email Endings
I was contacted by someone posing as a talent recruiter for Bungie. I threw caution to the wind for three reasons. One, I’ve been desperate for a new job lately and the prospect of working for a Triple-A level studio was a tantalizing one.
I’m a recent college grad and I had just talked to some game devs at PAX West that were younger than me with loads of Triple-A experience already under their belts. I talked to one dev who couldn’t have been more than 22 years old and he had already worked for both Rockstar and Epic Games.
I thought I was next. I was ecstatic.
Two, I was told I was being selected for my artistic capabilities in: illustration, concept art, 2D, 3D, and graphic design; all of which I pride myself on with my portfolio on ArtStation and Instagram. Although I’m just starting out on those platforms, it felt good to receive recognition.
I was blinded by the positives.
Pausing, and taking a second to conduct some research of my own could have saved me from heartbreak and headaches.
Take two seconds to search for what official emails from respective companies end in. You’ll thank me later.
Here’s a forum post on Bungie’s official site that proved to be the catalyst on cracking down on my situation.
For the record, all official emails from Bungie end in @bungie.com.
Three, speaking of PAX West, I had received loads of time slot request emails from studios and developers requesting that media pass holders schedule ahead of time for interviews and demos. A large chunk of these emails came from the developer’s personal emails, so that’s why the fact that the email didn’t end in @bungie didn’t set off any alarm bells in my head.
Check for Suspicious Details
This one might seem obvious, but it’s an important one nonetheless. My scenario was difficult because the only red flags that really stuck out in my mind was the underlying sense of urgency. A sense of urgency is tied to numerous scams, but this urgency was easily explained away though, because once I had the laptop I needed to purchase delivered in the mail, I could clock on for my first remote shift. I was allocating funds via checks that, at the time, cashed correctly through Zelle, to a vendor who was supposedly: purchasing a laptop, purchasing and downloading expensive software packages such as ZBrush and Maya (both programs I have been dying to get my hands on), and sending off the the laptop to get laser engraved with my name and the company logo. From there, it would appear on my doorstep via FedEx next day shipping.
Just like magic, right?
They were telling me everything I wanted to hear. And it was backed up by the fact that I could see no fallacies in the scam in the moment. The scammer had done their research. They name dropped all the right software (there was more than just ZBrush and Maya). The laptop they listed was from 2021 and looked like it could keep pace spec-wise with all of the 3D work I’d be “doing” in the future.
I found another forum post (via Reddit) that was walked through a timeline that mirrored mine.
This person was being told a similar story. The checks cashed and they were told that the money was to be used to purchase tech and software that all correctly aligned with tech and software that would be needed to meet requirements of the role in real life. FedEx next day shipping. Just like magic.
Those checks later bounced.
If it’s too good to be true, it likely is.
Also, if they ask you to purchase a new iPhone 14 Pro Max, you can just send that email straight into the trash. It’s a dead giveaway. Studios don’t care about what phones their employees use.
Telegram/WhatsApp
If the recruitment email asks you to take the interview and onboarding process over to a third-party messaging app, especially one with a reputation of security and privacy, be wary and screenshot everything.
The guy I was messaging on Telegram even got his account deleted in the middle of my “onboarding” process. Yep, that’s right, Telegram pulled the plug on his account. The next morning I was sent another email asking me to add the scammer back, this time via a new username. The scammer explained it away as being an error on Telegram’s end.
When I met the sending limit on Zelle, I was asked to download Cashapp as a workaround.
I was asked to meet with the scammer on Telegram in EST times, instead of PST, which is what the studio likely would have used, as their studio is based in the PNW.
It was red flag after red flag.
The End of My Story
Thankfully I’m only out X amount of money. I have enough savings to cover my mistake and my bank is working to get it cleared.
I caught on early.
Had I not been so lucky, I could have been out upwards of $5,000.
For clarity’s sake, here’s the tail end of the initial email I received.
The scammer even conducted a fake interview with me via SMS in Telegram. I was answering character design related questions that would sadly, ultimately amount to nothing.
I didn’t even cover every detail in this article. The point I’m trying to get across is just how bone-chilling the lengths this scammer was willing to go to tailor-make this scam towards me.
Call to the Industry
I am putting out a call to the games industry to hire more junior talent. Yes, I am becoming that annoying person you see at the top of your feed every time you log on to LinkedIn now. But not without reason.
Currently, the industry is obsessed with finding enigmatic unicorns with 5+ years of experience to fill senior positions; if they’re not already busy laying-off their entire staff and hiring them back for lower wages.
This is a toxic hiring practice that needs to stop.
Scammers have caught on to this trend and are preying upon recent grads who simply don’t know any better and are lured in by the possibility of a job in their desired industry.
It’s predatory, disheartening, and downright sickening to see that our industry has come to this.
My message to industry leaders is simple. Hire junior talent. Offer junior roles and fill those positions. We’re hungry and we’re full of fresh ideas that we can bring to the table.
We’re out here and we’re waiting.
Hire us.
Featured Image: ISO Republic
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