LinkedIn scam: Here's how self-proclaimed mentors are fooling job seekers with free referrals

A new wave of self-proclaimed "mentors" is taking over LinkedIn - promising job seekers golden opportunities in FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) companies, branding to deceive job seekers, and offering fake mentorship programs that ultimately exploit their desperation. As detailed in a viral Reddit post, these so-called mentors often post photos of themselves wearing ‘FAANG-branded merchandise or posing at company offices’, accompanied by vague motivational messages. Their ultimate goal, critics say, is not to help but to profit.

After tracking several of these influencers, a clear pattern emerged. Their playbook follows five predictable steps:

The Hook: They offer “free” resume reviews or referrals—just book a 15-minute session.

The Flattery: During the call, they shower candidates with compliments but provide little to no actionable feedback.

The Ask: They beg for a 5-star rating and glowing testimonial.

The Pivot: After stacking up 50+ glowing reviews from free sessions, they begin charging $1,000+ for 30-minute consultations, marketing themselves as “5-star rated by 50+ users.” The catch? Those reviews came from free sessions.

The Profit: They monetize desperation, preying on job seekers who believe they’re getting insider guidance. In reality, they’re being scammed by someone whose own career might not be as solid as they claim.

To make matters worse, these influencers operate in packs, liking, reposting, and hyping up each other’s content to inflate credibility and expand their reach.

Referrals should be organic—an endorsement of someone’s potential, not a commodity for sale. Yet, this growing trend on LinkedIn is turning genuine job-seeking efforts into a marketplace of deception.

The post rapidly went viral, evoking a range of reactions from social media users.

One user wrote, "Yeah, this shit is getting out of hand. I know a dude who spams like five posts per day about random shit. Also, there are people charging 4000 for one hour lol. I don't think they make 4000 for an hour at their real job."

Another said: "There's this guy on LinkedIn who keeps on posting for referrals and tells people to DM him their resume if they're interested. But at the end of every post, he mentions that his DMs are full, and if someone is smart enough, they would know how to contact him—and then he puts the link to his Topmate account. He does this in every post.

The resemblance to forced bribing is uncanny."

LinkedIn’s Tips For A Safe Job Search:

1) Take care with what you share. Consider what personal information you are being asked for. Never give out bank details before the onboarding process.

2) Say no to suspicious requests. Scammers can use tactics that legitimate employers wouldn’t, like asking you to download encrypted software for an interview or offering jobs with high pay for little work. Job offers after just one remote interview is very rarely a legitimate deal. You can report spam and inappropriate content.

3) Look for red flags. Be cautious of job postings that sound too good to be true or require upfront payments. Common scams include roles like mystery shopper, company impersonator, or personal assistant. Additionally, be wary of anyone asking you to send money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or to invest.

4) Make sure you keep your settings updated. Adding an additional phone number or email address to your account can help recover your account if you forget your password.