The war on trust: How fake recruiters are targeting crypto’s future

Lately, scammers have found a new angle: impersonating Kraken recruiters and support staff. Their goal? To steal your trust first and your assets second.

They’ll promise jobs, partnerships or quick money. They’ll spin stories that sound plausible. They’ll try to make urgency feel like opportunity. But here’s the truth: real employment opportunities can be found through our official Kraken jobs portal and aren’t driven by FOMO.

How fake recruiter scams work

These bad actors are shapeshifters. They’ll show up as “recruiters” on LinkedIn, email you from lookalike domains, or DM you on Telegram with “exclusive” openings. They’ll even borrow real Kraken employee photos or copy legitimate job postings.

Many scams are elaborate. Some will go slowly before to better gain the trust of their victims, a process often referred to as “pig butchering.” We collaborated with the U.S. Secret Service in an operation that recovered $225 million from such fraud.

Other scams move fast, trying to use pressure and FOMO to get you to act quickly and without thinking too much. Then comes the ask, often to:

• Pay “training” or “equipment” fees

• Provide wallet keys or personal documents

Let’s be clear: Kraken will never ask for payment during hiring, ever. Kraken will never ask for your wallet keys, at any point, ever.

Think you’ve found a scammer impersonating Kraken? Tell us about it here.

How to tell what’s real and what’s risky

1. 

   Use verified @kraken.com email addresses – Scammers have been using real Kraken employee names but from unrelated email addresses– If it’s not from @kraken.com, it’s not Kraken.

2. 

   Appear on LinkedIn as verified Kraken team members – Look for the Kraken Verified badge.

3. 

   Never request sensitive information outside secure portals.

4. 

   Never pressure you into urgent action or payment.

If someone doesn’t check all four boxes, stop engaging immediately.

What to do if you think you’re being scammed

Scammers don’t win because they’re smart. They win because people rush. The best move you can make is the slow one. Here’s how to fight back—with calm, clarity and control.

Trust your instincts – If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Guarantees of success don’t exist in real markets, only in scams.

Move slowly and be deliberate – Doing nothing is often the smartest move. Scammers weaponize urgency. Take notes, hang up, and contact the company through their official website—not the number or link they gave you.

Verify before trusting – Words are cheap. Verification isn’t. Real companies don’t cold-call to fix your “account issue.” Ask for ID, note the employee number and follow up through official lines. Scammers can fake logos and uniforms, but not legitimacy.

Understand your emotions – Fear, greed and panic are the scammer’s toolkit. If someone’s message sparks anxiety or excitement, step back. End the call, close the chat and breathe before acting.

Remember scammers build trust – Con artists play the long game. They’ll mirror your life, your family, your tone—just to lower your guard. That fake familiarity is manipulation disguised as empathy.

Passwords, pins and logins aren’t for sharing – Ever. Not with “recruiters,” “support,” or anyone else. Use a password manager that generates random, unique credentials. One breach shouldn’t mean every account falls.

Public profiles are available to scammers too – Everything you post – names, jobs, usernames – feeds their research. Reuse the same handle across platforms? You’ve already given them a roadmap. Lock down what you share.

Check website URLs extremely carefully – Fake sites are near-perfect clones, and search engines don’t always protect you. Don’t click. Type the address directly into your browser. If the URL feels “off,” it probably is.

Avoid the urge to reply – Even “unsubscribe” tells scammers your email is active. And that “hi” text from an unknown number? That’s not curiosity – it’s bait. Silence is your defense.

Take everything you see with a grain of salt – Deepfakes, AI-generated profiles and fabricated news are the new normal. Don’t take screenshots as truth. Verify information across multiple sources before you act – or invest.

Our commitment to security

At Kraken, security above everything is part of our DNA. We don’t outsource vigilance. We build it, teach it and live it. Productive paranoia is culture . It’s how we protect what matters most – our people, our clients and their crypto.

Every time you slow down to verify, you strengthen not just your defenses but the entire Kraken ecosystem.

Protect your information. Protect your crypto. Fill out this form to let us know if you think you’ve found a scammer impersonating Kraken.

The crypto world rewards curiosity, not carelessness. Share this article. Report scams. Stay alert. And remember — trust must be earned, never assumed.

How to get a (legit) job at Kraken

Remember, there is only one guaranteed-legit source for legit jobs at Kraken. If you are contacted by a scammer about a role, it may well be about an actual open job listing at Kraken – one of the ways scammers make themselves appear authentic. Don’t fall for it. Always go to the source.

Explore careers at Kraken

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