Two former estate agency chief executives have warned that senior property figures are being targeted by suspected recruitment scams offering apparently credible non-executive positions.
Former Countrywide Chief Executive and Rightmove Chairman Harry Hill (main picture, inset left) says he has received three approaches from people purporting to be recruiters seeking candidates for senior non-executive roles in the property sector.
And Dorian Gonsalves (main picture, inset right), former Chief Executive of Belvoir and now Non-Executive Chairman, says he has experienced similar approaches and has taken to contacting the recruiters being impersonated directly to establish whether communications are genuine.
The approaches initially appear credible and can involve several exchanges about the recipient’s career and experience before suspicions are raised.
‘MOST DEFINITELY A SCAM’
Speaking to Property Soup, Hill says: “There is most definitely a scam playing out through LinkedIn – but so far I don’t know (fortunately) where or how the sting occurs.
“As other senior property guys have also experienced, it starts by receiving an approach from a proper named recruiter – in my case, one supposedly in America and the other in London – who claim to be impressed by one’s previous experience etc and ask whether a senior NED role with a reputable company in the property sector would be of interest.
“There then follow well written emails seeking some further personal and business experience questions, but nothing to set alarm bells ringing – other than in my case, the messages were sent often at bizarre times in the middle of the night.
“Having terminated communications on each occasion, I can’t yet work out where the financial sting will arise – maybe possibly ‘helping’ to create or update a CV – but I recommend that if like me, alarm bells start to ring, one terminates the discussion.
“It is clear that the names of proper recruiters are being used – presumably with fake email addresses.”
SAME APPROACH
Hill initially raised the alarm on LinkedIn after receiving three approaches which he says appeared plausible.
Gonsalves responded that he had encountered the same problem.
He says: “Same here Harry. The first approach is an email sent via LinkedIn.
“Their email address is usually poorly constructed and to confirm legitimacy, I usually send a DM to the person the email sender is impersonating.”
The experiences mirror wider warnings about recruitment impersonation fraud. LinkedIn warns users that scammers may pose as legitimate recruiters or employers, with warning signs including email addresses that do not match an organisation’s official domain and requests for payment for services such as CV or résumé assistance.
RECRUITMENT FRAUD
UK fraud guidance also warns that recruitment scams can begin with unsolicited approaches from people purporting to be employers or recruitment agents before progressing to requests for personal information or money.
Hill has not identified the recruiters whose names he believes were being used and terminated each exchange before any request for money or sensitive personal information was made.
Hill says of his decision to break contact: “Perhaps I’m simply being paranoid but better safe than sorry – particularly as I’m hardly desperate for more NED roles.”
Property Soup has approached LinkedIn for comment.
