The Job Scam Report Podcast

Mark Anthony Dyson
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The podcast, “The Job Scam Report,” can only be found here on my Substack and YouTube. I created "The Job Scam Report" on Substack in May 2024. I started the podcast shortly after realizing its potential to reach many more job seekers trying to conduct a job search without being lured by bad actors. Job scams are a pandemic in the marketplace. The sooner the signs of a scam are recognized, the quicker one must disengage from communication with them. It should take just one sign to stop, block, and report them. Inform your network and report if you have engaged with a link, PDF, or downloaded a communication from them. Subscribe to my Substack: markanthonydyson.substack.com. Contact me with inquiries: markanthonydyson{at}substack{dot}com. Along the way, I added April Price-Horton, Jay Jones, and Russell Irby as regular co-hosts. We've created memorable and informative shows that have been watched by hundreds of participants on LinkedIn Live. Ashley Price-Horton: YouTube: @cybercareeradvancement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apricehorton/ Jay Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonesdoyoucopy/ We have also been featured in prominent mainstream media outlets, including Forbes, Fast Company, CNET, Marketplace Tech, and American Business Journals. markanthonydyson.substack.com

  1. 9h ago

    What Are The Lessons to Unlock About Job Scams From 2014

    An animal on prey, the smell of blood. That was 2014. Today, in 2026, this remains true. This episode is a breakdown from The Voice of Job Seekers podcast that I recorded with my guest, Bridget Weide Brooks. Who was a job scam expert and also supported career services providers with Resume Writers Digest. I asked Bridget’s permission to republish the episode, and she said she thinks about the episode often as she sees today job scams ciruclating. Here are this episode’s highlights: * Scammers are marketers and use a variety of approaches to lure job seekers into scheme before they realize it. * Some victims are repeatedly lured into schemes. * Scammers will sell lists to other scammers * Layoff related stress, Layoff PTSD, or Layoff fatigue, although not an official clinical diagnosis, increases a job seeker’s vulnerability. * A small payout becomes the bait: the task and the payment are mistaken as real, but only starts the lure. The promise of future pay become s real. * Personal information is the real win for scammers, but a potential financial fraud burden for the victim. * Bridget emphasizes the fake career service professionals will offer a very low service only to get back low quality product or no return on service at all. She says, “ If you're paying under $99, that would be a definite red flag.” * She continues to say, “ So if you as a job seeker have an idea of what you need, and then you can research professionals that provide that service, like I said, low fees are gonna be one, and then look and see if they have testimonials and recommendations. You can find that either on their website, or a great source of that is the professional's LinkedIn profile.” Don’t miss these episodes… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Oct 27

    How Fake Jobs Exploit the Desperate

    Job seekers underestimate still underestimate the value of asking the right questions, doing the necessary research, and noticing erratic behavior of fake recruiters. Getting to the interview could be a trap because your mind creates a irrational of any positive occurrence as validation. Our episode is very informative this week as we discuss LinkedIn’s updated efforts to purge fake profiles and eliminate fake company pages. Please follow my co-hosts, aka “The Zero Trust Panel” on LinkedIn: Ashley Price-Horton Jay Jones Russ Irby Here are some of the highlights: * Linkedin’s  announcement stating company pages have the ability to remove people who are not really affiliated with their company. * Fake companies created LinkedIn pages easily that look very real with the past verification process. * Job seekers using outside sources to verify people who approach them on LinkedIn and LinkedIn job postings. * Fake candidates who are using the same resumes to apply to the same job. * Ashley shared about someone in her tribe was able to detect a fake company through the questions they asked. * We warned about avoiding the fake interview. Once you’re in it, your mind wants to believe the entire process is real. Career Jam Join me today, 3-3:45 pm on LinkedIn and YouTube as I present on job scams at “Career Jam,” sponsored by Career Thought Leaders and Resume Writing Academy, an organization of career services providers (resume writers, career coaches, college advisors, and more). The theme of the three day event is Global Career Brainstorming Day, used to prepare career professionals to service their clients for 2027. You can sign up for the LinkedIn event here. Listen to these past episodes: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Oct 13

    Scammy Behavior: ​ ​ ​Who's Really Behind That Strange Job Post?

    This special edition of the podcast covered job-search safety tips and strategies. My co-hosts and I share things you can apply to your job search right away. You’ll get even more from yesterday’s show. I’ll share it in the next month or so, but you won’t want to miss it. We recorded this episode back in July, and you can watch the full video here. Please follow my co-hosts on LinkedIn: Ashley Price-Horton Jay Jones Russ Irby Highlights: * Ashley shares how one of her community members went through five interviews, only for the company to hire an internal candidate. She said the interviewer told the candidate,  I don't even know why they're having me interview you, because we've already filled this position." The company also laid off staff the next day. * Jay describes the “Perfect Out:” “The biggest issue that I've seen is: how do you determine what a ghost job is, and there are so many outs.” He continues, “ Because when it's a nefarious company, whether it's a legitimate one or one pretending to be a legitimate one, and they have no intention of hiring, they have so many perfect outs to explain why the job is posted.” * Scammers outcompete on pay, which is eye candy for pressed unemployed workers, but it should warn prepared job seekers. * I mention that the #1 subscriber group to “The Job Scam Report” is government employees (their email ends in “.gov”). * Jay sees instances where scammers are enrolling to get the .edu for LinkedIn verification. And they never have to attend the class to qualify. * Russ shared that scammers in other countries can run schemes from home through remote jobs. * Ashley shared a great cybersecurity tip for everyone to protect their electronics: turn off “auto-download of images.” She said, “The receiver will receive a notification if they have tracking software on. They'll receive a notification that you opened their email, and then depending on how your system is set up, they can find out where you opened it...” * Jay explains how scammers gamify popular games (especially on Facebook) to steal your personal information. Catch these past episodes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Oct 1

    It's Here: Gen Z and the Astonishing Rise of Job Scams

    Social engineering and artificial intelligence are the weapons of choice, but also of war. Both are constant traps charlatans use to lure job seekers into an entangled web where impersonations become real. That is why there aren't enough job scam warnings, no matter how loudly the same red flags are shouted from the mountaintop. Thanks to Lance LeFortt for the opportunity to use his platform to keep warning job seekers about the hideous, yet sophisticated schemes set as mines on every platform. There are several mines job seekers need to avoid:* Charlatans value your data more than cash. They don’t need your money. They offer the illusion of pay to get your personal information. * Mass applying is a never-ending trap job seekers overvalue. * Financial and emotional vulnerability attracts the mines they can’t see past when any job sounds great.* The “Zero-Trust Mindset” helps job seekers start clarifying without the benefit of the doubt, beginning with “Is this company real?” Is this recruiter who they say they are? Either should be a deal-breaker for continuing the pursuit. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Sep 15

    How to Unmask Job Scams with The Zero Trust Mindset

    This week’s episode is an excerpt from the “Nothing Felt Wrong” podcast. The podcast covers all types of scams, including job scams. Anne Genduso is the creator and host, and beyond scams, she dives deep into the deception and manipulation tactics of bad actors.  From online scams to financial fraud to identity deception, social engineering, cults, catfishing, and betrayal. Here are a few of the highlights: * How everyday software can create deepfake audio and video * The Zero-Trust Mindset: clarify and verify. * Asking the right clarifying questions- and lots of them- will chase away many of the bad actors. * Hijacked LinkedIn profiles give bad actors a smokescreen for deception. * Depression clouds a job seeker’s judgment. It keeps them from asking thoughtful clarifying questions such as, “Why do you pay so well?” * The “verify” stage: you want to discredit or debunk the company or recruiter. Once you do that, disengage or create a long silence. You don’t have to let them know what you know. I hope you enjoy the episode. Let me know your thoughts about the episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Aug 11

    AI Fraud Surge in Hiring: Download The Zero-Trust Mindset

    This week, I wanted to share an excerpt from a podcast I recently appeared on, “Careering with Cameron.” I discussed the “Zero Trust” mindset and offered insights for the employed, unemployed, and underemployed on how to job search safely and strategically. This core mantra can be practiced daily by examining everything and everyone. Follow the host, Kevin Cameron, on LinkedIn. Lots of great content. His recruitment experience is insightful and helpful to job seekers. Remember, no one is safe from threat actors luring you into the job-scam abyss. Entrepreneurs, even those we admire, receive fake money-making opportunities. Workers in blue-collar professions are receiving fake offers. Many have to tread carefully when pursuing training and certifications from credible institutions. Threat actors offer non-existent, easy-path-to-hire training that not only steals cash but also a victim’s financial information. All scams have the following in common: • The assurance of being qualified. • Generous pay, a flexible schedule, easy tasks, and unlimited PTO bait. • An investment is needed from the victim. • Little to no time for successful vetting. • The need is now. We are so far from 2020, when job scams began an unprecedented surge to more than $500 million since then. Repeat it with me: Clarify. Verify. Don’t just apply. Stay scam-free, y’all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 28

    Faking the Funk: Ghost Jobs, Fake Employers, and the Fight for Transparency

    The crew was back together for another insightful episode of not just job scam advice, but also an important discussion about ghost jobs. There are two states in the news addressing them from two different angles: New York has a bill where they are calling on employers to be transparent to post whether the job is currently hiring, will hire in the future, or a ghost job (not the term used in the bill). Texas Attorney General is investigating whether LinkedIn is charging its premium members for non-existent job posts. Both issues I discussed in last week’s newsletter, but hearing the other cast member’s perspective is so interesting. As usual, Ashley, Russ, and Jay join me for quite a robust conversation as we try to make sense of it all. * Ghost jobs vs. fake jobs No matter how much education we’ve done as a show, in general, job seekers can’t tell the difference between an actively hiring job and a ghost job (real postings kept open indefinitely, aka “evergreen jobs.)” * New York’s transparency bill New York’s latest legislation demands that employers disclose whether a posted job is for immediate hiring, future planning, or just data mining. * Texas vs. LinkedIn The Texas attorney general is challenging LinkedIn for charging premium members for access to jobs that may not exist. * Real jobs can look like ghost jobs Slow-moving state/government hiring processes (sometimes 1-2+ months) frustrate applicants. * Recurring/stale postings Ghost jobs are reposted repeatedly over years (Russ stated listings are still active two years after applying). Can’t help but to believe it’s data mining. * Scammer impact and pushback Russ shared how harassment from scammers contacting his workplace, forcing him to shift from public callouts to private, individual investigations. * Fewer but savvier scams AI-related job scams are more sophisticated (”upper scale”) and harder to detect than before. * Employer transparency helps everyone There are companies explaining their hiring process (e.g., Nvidia), which helps job seekers. Financial penalties/legal pressure are seen as the real lever for universal change. Have you heard these podcast episodes? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Jun 30

    Easy Apply Is a Trap — Here’s The One Thing to Do Instead

    In this episode of “The Job Scam Report,” we are not only looking at the lack of caution job seekers are taking when scrutinizing jobs, but also at how they are recklessly job searching. My co-hosts, Ashley and Russ, are offering great insight into how employers view job seekers’ self-presentation. view job seekers’ self-presentation. I personally got a kick out of Russ’ line about his friend presenting an old version of his resume. Let me know if you hear it. Here are a few highlights of the show: 1. “Spray and Pray” Job Applications Don’t Work.“Easy Apply” is sucking up job seekers’ energy, as many apply to hundreds of jobs without visible outcomes. 2. Job Searching Is a Skill Most People Don’t Have.The more strategic job seekers are, the more successful and safer they become. Job seekers who haven’t searched for a job in 10 years or more don’t update their résumés to look modern or relevant. 3. Yes, Safe AND Strategic. Remove outdated info (physical addresses, old email formats) and understand how embedded metadata in resumes can expose personal information. Know exactly where your resume is going before submitting it. 4. Go Straight to the Source. Apply directly through the company’s career pages, not job boards. Make sure you use a separate channel, not a link from strangers. Use lists like the S&P 500 to verify legitimate employers, and whois.com. Use three outside channels to verify information about the company, recruiter, or hiring manager. 5. Recruiting Firms: Read the Fine PrintAny recruitment firm will uphold its privacy and data disclosure policies. Make sure it’s a legitimate business, the personnel contacting you are actual employees, and it has a solid reputation. 6. AI Is Making It Harder to Know What’s RealAI-generated avatars and bots will appear real, but will have subtle characteristics. The more job seekers adopt a “Zero-Trust” approach, the stronger their personal safety precautions become. 7. Networking Is Your Safest Job Search ToolReferrals from longtime co-workers bypass most of the risks of scams and bots. If you’ve watched their journey, you can be assured of safety. It’s not gatekeeping to decline referring someone you don’t know. Russ and Ashley emphasize how reputation is everything. I hope this episode increases your knowledge and awareness of job scams. Much of what we shared can apply to any type of scam. Today’s job search is a skill from beginning to end. It’s supposed to drastically improve over time, showing up in outcomes. Stay scam-free, y’all. Don’t miss these episodes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit markanthonydyson.substack.com/subscribe

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About

The podcast, “The Job Scam Report,” can only be found here on my Substack and YouTube. I created "The Job Scam Report" on Substack in May 2024. I started the podcast shortly after realizing its potential to reach many more job seekers trying to conduct a job search without being lured by bad actors. Job scams are a pandemic in the marketplace. The sooner the signs of a scam are recognized, the quicker one must disengage from communication with them. It should take just one sign to stop, block, and report them. Inform your network and report if you have engaged with a link, PDF, or downloaded a communication from them. Subscribe to my Substack: markanthonydyson.substack.com. Contact me with inquiries: markanthonydyson{at}substack{dot}com. Along the way, I added April Price-Horton, Jay Jones, and Russell Irby as regular co-hosts. We've created memorable and informative shows that have been watched by hundreds of participants on LinkedIn Live. Ashley Price-Horton: YouTube: @cybercareeradvancement LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apricehorton/ Jay Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonesdoyoucopy/ We have also been featured in prominent mainstream media outlets, including Forbes, Fast Company, CNET, Marketplace Tech, and American Business Journals. markanthonydyson.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Anthony Dyson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mark Anthony Dyson
  • Show Website
    The Job Scam Report Podcast