New Delhi: A job seeker’s unsettling experience has gone viral after he claimed he went for an in-person interview only to discover that the company did not exist. He was shocked to realise that it was apparently a sophisticated identity theft scam.

Interview turns into shock

The Reddit user shared that he had been searching for a job for four months when a recruiter contacted him about a high-priority Operations Manager role. The position was supposedly based in a prestigious office tower and the communication appeared professional, complete with a calendar invite, office suite number and documentation requirements.

Before the interview, he was asked to submit sensitive details, including his Social Security number and a scan of his ID, under the pretext of building security clearance.

Reddit post goes viral

I went to an in-person interview at a major business center and discovered the company doesn’t even exist.
by
u/TalonParadox_2 in
recruitinghell

He arrived early for his 2 pm interview, dressed formally, but was met with confusion at the reception desk. The security guard informed him that the entire 14th floor had been vacant and under construction for six months and no such company existed in the building.

His attempts to contact the recruiter failed, as the phone number was disconnected. The company website also returned a “404 Not Found” error, making it seem as though the organisation had “vanished into thin air the moment I stepped into the lobby”.

Realisation of a scam

“The realization hit me like a ton of bricks because they didn’t want to hire me. They wanted my data,” the user wrote, adding that scammers now had access to his personal and financial information.

“They now have my social security number, a high resolution scan of my driver’s license, my home address, and my full employment history. I fell for a high effort identity theft scam because I was desperate for a paycheck,” he said.

He immediately froze his credit and filed a police report but admitted feeling “incredibly stupid and violated”.

Online reactions pour in

The post sparked widespread concern online, with many sharing similar experiences. One user wrote, “This happened to a family member. He showed up to a building with a sign attached to the door saying ‘XYZ business does NOT exist, nor is it at this location’. Apparently the door staff was getting so many people showing up for this scam job interview that they decided to put up a sign.”

Another commented, “Omg that is terrifying,” while others questioned the process: “But why are you giving that information before getting hired?”

Some users pointed out key red flags. “Scammers have been renting domains for decades. The key giveaway in this scam is the request for ID pre meeting. Always do your ID checks on-site and in real time. If requested beforehand, that’s scam territory.”