Job hunting has become even more treacherous as scammers use artificial intelligence to create sophisticated fake recruitment schemes that fool even experienced professionals. These new scams use AI-powered fake recruiters and c alendar invites to target job seekers. Fraudsters create convincing company profiles on job sites, often using names that closely mimic legitimate businesses."The idea is that they try to impersonate a trusted company, sometimes even executives of trusted companies, and they connect you through LinkedIn or any other job platform," said Iskander Sanchez-Rola, Director of AI and Innovation at Norton. The scam works by fraudsters creating fake company profiles on job sites with names nearly identical to those of real businesses. They'll add "INC" or make other subtle changes, like in business names that include an "M", putting an "R" and "N" next to each other to look like an "M," making it easy for job seekers to skim past the name fake and believe they're dealing with a legitimate company. Then the scammers send a calendar invite that appears legitimate for an interview."These calendars feel legit to people because they never heard about this kind of scam. The moment someone talks to them, and they receive a calendar (invite) automatically, they believe it's true," Sanchez-Rola said. However, the fake calendar link redirects victims to a fraudulent website designed to steal personal and banking information.Even more concerning, scammers sometimes clone real recruiters' voices and faces, making phone and video calls appear authentic through AI technology."Like, if you go back a couple of years, I would say there were really clear guidelines to tell when something was real and what was not. Nowadays, that line is extremely blurry. You cannot trust a voice, you cannot trust a face," Sanchez-Rola said.Red flags to watch forJob seekers should be wary of several warning signs: Urgent claims that they need to hire immediately Requests for Social Security numbers or bank details, allegedly for onboarding Demands that you pay them for equipment or certifications to get the jobHow to protect yourselfTo avoid falling victim to these scams, always verify companies and recruiters independently.Look for verification badges on job sites and double-check company names carefully. Also, check whether the email sending the calendar link is actually associated with the company recruiting you.Remember that legitimate employers never ask you to pay anything up front.If you're unsure about a job offer, Norton's free "Norton Genie" tool can help identify scams by analyzing screenshots, links, or other materials provided by potential employers.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube ...read more read less