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I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

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Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting, I didn't know there is such thing on Li! Is this done by past employers?

You just verify that you have access to an email address that belongs to a company (@example.com) by entering a six digit code they send to your work email. This in theory verifies that you work there, but obviously nothing else like your actual position at the company. From an attacker standpoint, if an attacker gains access to any email address with @example.com, they could pretend to be the CEO of example.com even…

You just verify that you have access to an email address that belongs to a company (@example.com)

Bad idea.

I never had my work e-mail address on LinkedIn, but then I made the mistake of doing this, and LinkedIn sold my work e-mail address to several dozen companies that are still spamming me a year later.

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#342
The real lesson here: social media — and yes, that includes LinkedIn — isn’t a substitute for real due diligence. Things like chamber of commerce listings, tax records (for public companies), verified business partners, and tangible results like completed projects and products still matter. In 2025, “verified checkmarks” aren’t trust — track records are.

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hm, why do you have to say that? A CV is expected to be super polished and not necessarily consistent with the rest of your writing, right?

If I were asked a direct question, especially in a job interview, I would be truthful. That answer stops any sniping about using AI and lets me focus on my skills.

Asking about AI usage in CV is pointless in my opinion. You are always responsible what reads in there. If they don’t like the writing style, then they don’t.

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#344

This article is so interesting, but I can’t shake the feeling it was written by AI. The writing style has that feel for me. Maybe that shouldn’t bother me? Like, maybe the author would never have had time to write this otherwise, and I would never have learned about his experience. But I can't help wishing he'd just written about it himself. Maybe that's unreasonable--I shouldn't expect people to do extra work for fr…

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Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#345

This article is so interesting, but I can’t shake the feeling it was written by AI. The writing style has that feel for me. Maybe that shouldn’t bother me? Like, maybe the author would never have had time to write this otherwise, and I would never have learned about his experience. But I can't help wishing he'd just written about it himself. Maybe that's unreasonable--I shouldn't expect people to do extra work for fr…

It’s incredibly annoying to read. So many super short sentences with the “not just X. Also Y” format. Little hooks like “The attack vector?” “Not fancy security tools. Not expensive antivirus software. Just asking my coding assistant…” I actually feel like AI articles are becoming easier to spot. Maybe we’re all just collectively noticing the patterns.

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Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s incredibly annoying to read. So many super short sentences with the “not just X. Also Y” format. Little hooks like “The attack vector?” “Not fancy security tools. Not expensive antivirus software. Just asking my coding assistant…” I actually feel like AI articles are becoming easier to spot. Maybe we’re all just collectively noticing the patterns.

I'm regularly asked by coworkers why I don't run my writing through AI tools to clean it up and instead spend a time iterating over it, re-reading, perhaps with a basic spell checker and maybe grammar check. That's because, from what I've seen to date, it'd take away my voice. And my voice -- the style in which I write -- is my value. It's the same as with art... Yes, AI tools can produce passable art, but it feels s…

Every time you let AI speak for you, it gets better at sounding like you — and you get worse at it.

That’s the trade: convenience for originality.

The more you outsource your thoughts, your words, your tone — the easier it becomes to forget how to do it yourself.

AI doesn’t steal your voice.

It just trains you to stop using it.

/a

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#347
post #292

This article is so interesting, but I can’t shake the feeling it was written by AI. The writing style has that feel for me. Maybe that shouldn’t bother me? Like, maybe the author would never have had time to write this otherwise, and I would never have learned about his experience. But I can't help wishing he'd just written about it himself. Maybe that's unreasonable--I shouldn't expect people to do extra work for fr…

I’d personally like to see these posts banned / flagged out of existence (AI posts, not the parent post). It’s sort of the personal equivalent of tacky content marketing. Usually you’d never see an empty marketing post on the front page, even before AI when a marketer wrote them. Now the same sort of spammy language is accessible to everyone, it shouldn’t be a reason for such posts to be better tolerated

The problem is the same as in academic world; you cannot be sure and there will be false positivies.

Rather, do we want to ban posts with specific format? I don’t know how that will end. So far, marketing hasn’t been a problem because people notice them, and don’t interact with them, and then they are not in front page.

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#348
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Name and shame. It's the only way to help others.

Unfortunately there is not much to name. Someone going by Xin Jia reached out to me over email saying they had seen some of my work and that they had something similar they were working on and asked if I'd like to meet to discuss. He sent me a calendly link to schedule a time. The start of the meeting was relatively normal. I introduced my background and some things I am interested in. It became clear that it was a s…

> saying they had seen some of my work

No one does this. It's invariably a scammer manipulating by appeal to ego.

Re: I almost got hacked by a 'job interview'

#349
post #336
post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a rude way to put it. I think crypto is full on BS but I have many very smart, self aware friends who are into blockchain. What this is a strong filter for people likely to have crypto wallets on their dev machines.

they may be self aware but if they're into blockchain they're unlikely to be scam aware!

Or they think that they are smarter than others, and could make a profit with the scammy market…
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