Fake Remote Assistant Jobs on LinkedIn
How fraudulent virtual and personal assistant job listings on LinkedIn extract personal data, fees, and access credentials from applicants under the guise of professional remote roles.
Part of: Fake Remote Assistant Jobs
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Virtual and personal assistant roles are highly credible targets for LinkedIn job fraud because they genuinely represent a growing category of flexible remote work. A listing for a remote PA or executive assistant position on LinkedIn — a platform explicitly designed for professional job seeking — faces little instinctive suspicion.
Scammers construct detailed fake company profiles and hire-looking listings that closely resemble real corporate postings. They take advantage of the fact that PA roles require broad access — to email systems, calendars, communication tools, and sometimes financial platforms — to construct a plausible rationale for requesting credentials, installing software, or processing payments as part of a fake onboarding.
The breadth of access that an assistant role justifies makes this scam type particularly versatile: it can be used for data harvesting, financial fraud, or malware delivery depending on the scammer's objective.
How this scam works on LinkedIn
A polished LinkedIn job listing describes a remote personal assistant or virtual executive assistant role at an apparently real company. The responsibilities are broad but accessible, the pay competitive, and the role described as immediately available. An application form collects detailed personal information.
Following a fake interview conducted via email or a low-quality video call, the 'company' sends onboarding materials including a device policy requiring specific software to be installed for secure communications. The software may be a remote access tool or keylogger disguised as a company communication client.
Alternatively, the onboarding asks the PA to process payments on the company's behalf using their own account — setting up money-mule exposure — or requests login credentials for platforms they will 'help manage,' providing the scammer with account access.
Common red flags
- Job listing cannot be verified against the company's official website or LinkedIn company page
- Onboarding requires installing specific software or communication tools from unofficial sources
- Role asks the assistant to process payments through their personal bank account on the company's behalf
- Requests login credentials for third-party platforms as part of job duties before start
- Interview conducted via low-quality video that may be a recorded playback rather than a live call
- No physical company address or registered company number verifiable through independent research
How to protect yourself
- Verify company details independently before any engagement — search company registration, official website, and LinkedIn company page
- Never install software recommended by an unverified employer — only use tools from official vendors
- Decline any role that asks you to process financial transactions through your personal account
- Never share login credentials for any platform as part of a job application or onboarding
- Use LinkedIn's verify badge feature and check when the company page was created
How to report it
- Report the fake listing and employer profile to LinkedIn using the report function
- File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or IC3 at ic3.gov
- If you installed suspicious software, consult a cybersecurity professional about securing your devices
Frequently asked questions
Why would a fake PA job ask me to install communication software?
The software may be a remote access tool that gives the scammer control over your device, or spyware that captures your credentials. Legitimate employers use standard, well-known tools (Slack, Teams, Zoom) that you can independently download from official sources.