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That Dream Job on LinkedIn Could Be Your Nightmare

March 11, 2025

Most of us would agree hunting for that dream job is a job in itself. But what happens when that perfect position comes up on LinkedIn? Well, there’s an Iranian hacking group using LinkedIn job hopefuls for nefarious reasons, so learn how to spot when a dream job isn’t what it claims to be—before you take the plunge.

Not-So-Charming Kitten

Don’t be fooled by the hacking group’s name “Charming Kitten.” They’re highly successful pulling job seekers into their hacking campaign called Dream Job. This boo-boo kitty and the malware it uses has suspected links to Lazarus, the infamous North Korean hacking group. But whether it’s Charming Kitten or other hackers, bogus job openings have long been a tool for bad actors to steal valuable information.

A Dream Job Ends Up A Nightmare

According to Clear Sky Cyber Security, bogus job recruiters on LinkedIn target victims with the perfect job offer. That offer includes a .zip file to download for more information. In reality, the .zip file is loaded with malware, in particular, spyware. The spyware steals passwords and much more, including loading other types of malware.

Charming Kitten also lures their victims to their “Careers2Find” bogus job website. Part of the process requires the job seeker open a .pdf and follow steps to ensure “safe website access.” Ironic, for sure because following the .pdf guide guarantees the victim accurately completes downloading the spyware.

Staying Safe

There’s really no equal to good old common sense when job hunting on any recruitment website. An offer with big money and lots of great perks should be met with skepticism. That should be followed up by not downloading any files or following any links. And of course, delete and report those random job “offers” that appear as a text you didn’t ask for.

By now we know the saying “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Whether it’s for a product, service or something else, we can add dream jobs to the list. So, always listen to your common sense before you leap. You might never know how glad you’ll be that you did.


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