- Deribit has issued a warning about a rising number of job-related scams targeting talented cryptocurrency professionals.
- Scammers use social-engineering tricks and fake LinkedIn profiles to steal from their victims.
- Job seekers—especially developers and senior employees at crypto companies—should exercise extra caution.
Deribit, the cryptocurrency options and futures exchange, has warned its users and the wider community about an increase in scams aimed at people seeking employment in the crypto space.
Anthony Sweeny, Deribit’s Chief Information Security Officer, shared the alert via a post on X, noting that fraudulent recruiters have stepped up their attacks in recent months.
Most often, these scammers impersonate Deribit recruiters—a tactic that has appeared in other industries as well.
“In recent weeks we’ve seen an uptick in scammers impersonating recruiters claiming to work for Deribit (and likely soon for other well-known firms). The crypto industry often pioneers the latest scam tactics, and this scam is no exception — we expect it to quickly spread to other sectors,” Sweeny wrote.
Scams built on social engineering
According to Deribit, scammers are getting more sophisticated, exploiting the speed and opportunities in the crypto industry to deceive unsuspecting candidates. This is one of the common cryptocurrency scams targeting job seekers.
“This clever social engineering trick pulls you in two ways,” Sweeny added, explaining that scammers dangle an irresistible, high-paying job offer to attract applicants. They also count on the fact that many people keep their job searches private.
Keeping a job hunt secret makes it easier for scammers to operate. To lure candidates, fraudsters often create fake LinkedIn profiles pretending to be talent recruiters.
They post listings for attractive roles with enticing benefits. Typical targets include senior staff at crypto firms or platforms and developers who may have access to sensitive information or systems. Once a suitable target responds, the scammers move in.
In some cases, scammers request an “online assessment,” but their main goal is to get the candidate to install malware on their device.
Bringing a work laptop is a red flag
Another tactic is to impersonate an employer by offering seemingly legitimate pre-hire perks such as equity stakes. Before victims realize what’s happening, scammers vanish with the money. They do not stop there.
With the fake Deribit recruiters, some candidates were asked to attend in-person meetings to sign contracts. Unsuspecting job seekers then fell prey to the “bring your work laptop” scam, which aims to gain access to corporate devices.
Deribit’s warning joins a series of alerts issued by crypto firms and security platforms over the past several months. Phishing campaigns have targeted crypto networks like Monero, while scammers have taken over well-known X accounts to promote fake projects or steal users’ cryptocurrencies.
To protect themselves, job seekers should verify recruiter identities, be skeptical of unsolicited offers, avoid installing unknown software, and never bring or connect a corporate device at the request of anyone who has not been properly verified. When in doubt, contact the company directly through official channels.