Fake Reference Emails Are the Newest Trick—Here’s How to Spot Them

Gentle Reader, I'm back again to tell you about the latest email scam that's out there.  This one almost got me, I'll be honest.

I just got several emails claiming that someone named "Viona Fredrick" listed me as a reference for a housekeeping job at Friendship Village Retirement Community. The problem? I’ve never met a Viona Fredrick in my life.

So, here's how I figured out this was a scam. You can do it, too - and keep yourself out of trouble.  This one is pretty good, almost convincing.

At first glance, it looks professional. It mentions a job application, asks politely for a reference. But here’s how I knew it was a scam:

My name was spelled incorrectly.

I know it's hard to spell, but let me put it out there - if you don't know how to spell my name, maybe put me at like, third on the list. And this one wasn't even close to right - they spelled my name as Re Beh Ka.  Yeah.  Like three words.  Seriously, guys. It's Behka.   A real company would take a second to figure that out.

I don’t know the person.

If someone truly listed you as a reference, you’d probably know them....or at least remember the name.  I did think for a second it might be someone I went to school with, but a quick Google search of the name told me that's not true.

Multiple emails were sent.

Scammers often mass-send these messages hoping someone will take the bait.  I got about three over the course of a week.

The email domain looks suspicious.

The sender’s address wasn’t from an official organization. Legit retirement communities usually use verified business email addresses.  And, I googled this place. There IS a Friendship Village Retirement Community... in IOWA. I know I don't know anyone that recently moved to Iowa.

The link feels fishy. Always hover before clicking. In this case, the link didn’t match the supposed organization and seemed designed to harvest personal info. In fact, in most cases, don't click.

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If you get a similar message, don’t click the link. Don’t respond. Just delete it. Scams like this prey on people’s sense of decency, you know? We want to help someone get a job. But that instinct is exactly what they exploit.  Help spread the word: if you get a random reference request from someone you don’t know, treat it like junk mail. It’s better to be cautious than compromised.

Scammingly yours,

Re Beh Ka