I am still processing how weird this was. I had been job hunting for four months, so when a recruiter reached out about a high priority Operations Manager role at a firm located in a very prestigious office tower downtown, I jumped at the chance. Everything seemed professional over email. They sent me a formal calendar invite, a suite number, and even a security clearance form that I had to fill out with my SSN and a scan of my ID to gain access to the secure floors.

I showed up ten minutes early, dressed in a full suit, and went to the front desk of the building. When I told the security guard I was there for a 2 PM interview on the 14th floor, he looked at me like I had two heads. He checked his directory and told me that the entire 14th floor has been vacant and under construction for nearly six months. There is no such company in the building.

I tried to call the recruiter number but it was disconnected. I checked the official website they had sent me and it was a 404 Not Found error. It was like the entire company vanished into thin air the moment I stepped into the lobby.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks because they didn’t want to hire me. They wanted my data. They now have my social security number, a high resolution scan of my driver’s license, my home address, and my full employment history. I fell for a high effort identity theft scam because I was desperate for a paycheck.

I have already spent the afternoon freezing my credit and filing a police report, but I feel so incredibly stupid and violated. The fact that scammers are now renting out professional domains and using the prestige of actual landmarks to lure people in is a terrifying new low. Be careful out there if they ask for sensitive info for building security before you even meet a human being, run.