Criminals are impersonating executive search firms, including AltoPartners, our member firms and our consultants, to approach people with bogus job offers. The messages are convincingly written and very plausible. Once a candidate is invested in the outcome, the scammers ask for money or sensitive personal information.

How these scams work

The details vary, but most follow the same pattern.

1. The approach. You receive an unexpected message on LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp or by text. The sender uses the name, photograph and job title of a real AltoPartners consultant, or of someone who does not exist.
2. The opportunity. You are told you are a strong match for a senior, well-paid role, often at a well-known company. The role is described as confidential, which explains why you cannot find it anywhere else.
3. The pressure. You are asked to move quickly, to keep the conversation private, and to continue on a personal email address or messaging app.
4. The ask. Sooner or later there is a request: a fee to “optimise” your CV or profile, a payment for an assessment, background check, visa or training, or copies of your passport and bank details for “onboarding”.

Some scams also target organisations. Fraudsters pose as a search firm to send fake invoices; to win a mandate they will never deliver; or to gather information about a company and its people.

Common tactics

• Fake LinkedIn and social media profiles built from a real consultant’s name and photo
• Email addresses on free services such as Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo
• Lookalike web domains that differ from ours by a letter, a hyphen or a different ending
• Copied logos, email signatures, offer letters and contracts
• A hand-off to a “partner” or “specialist” who then asks for payment

What AltoPartners will never do

Our clients pay for our work. Candidates do not. AltoPartners and its member firms will never:

• Ask you for money at any stage of a search, in any form: bank transfer, card payment, gift cards or cryptocurrency
• Charge you to be considered for a role, to be interviewed or to receive an offer
• Ask you to pay for CV writing, profile “optimisation”, assessments, training or background checks, or refer you to someone who will
• Ask for bank details, passwords or identity documents in an unsolicited first message
• Contact you about a role from a free email account or from a domain that is not ours
• Make a job offer without a proper process that includes conversations with our consultant and with the hiring organisation

Warning signs

Treat a message with caution if you notice any of the following:

• You are asked to pay. This alone is enough to know it is not us.
• The address does not match. The email comes from a free account or a domain that only resembles ours.
• The offer is too good. The salary is far above the market, or an offer arrives after little or no interview.
• You are rushed. There is a deadline measured in hours, or pressure to decide before you can check.
• The conversation moves off-platform. You are pushed quickly to WhatsApp, Telegram or a personal email address.
• The profile is thin. The LinkedIn account is new, has few connections, or duplicates a profile that already exists.
• You are asked for sensitive information early. Passport copies, bank details or tax numbers are requested before any real conversation.
• The message is generic. It could have been sent to hundreds of people and says little about your actual experience.
• Unexpected links or attachments. You are asked to open a file or log in to a site you do not recognise.

How to check that it is really us

A genuine consultant will never object to being verified. If you are unsure, take these steps before you reply.

1. Check the email domain. Global AltoPartners email addresses end in @altopartners.com. Our member firms also use their own domains and listed here.
2. Find the consultant on our website. Every AltoPartners consultant is listed at consultant directory. If the person is not there, ask us.
3. Contact the office directly. Use the phone number or email address published on this website, not the details given in the message you received.
4. Compare the LinkedIn profile. Our website links to each consultant’s genuine profile. A second profile with the same name and photo is a red flag.
5. Ask us. Forward the message to j.scheffer@altopartners.com and we will confirm whether it is genuine.
6. Check our Home Page. We regularly share an updated list of known fraudulent domains, but this list is not complete. New fake domains and profiles appear regularly, so a sender that is not listed here is not necessarily genuine. If in doubt, verify with us first.

What to do if you have been targeted

1. Stop engaging. Do not reply, send documents or make any payment.
2. Keep the evidence. Save or screenshot the messages, the sender’s address or profile link, and any documents you were sent.
3. Report it to the platform. Use the reporting tools on LinkedIn, your email provider or WhatsApp, then block the sender.
4. Tell us. Send the details to j.scheffer@altopartners.com. We act on every report: we request takedowns, warn the consultants concerned and update the list above.
5. If you have lost money or shared personal details, contact your bank immediately and report the matter to the police or the fraud authority in your country.

If you are a client or business partner

If you receive an invoice, a change of bank details or a proposal in our name that you were not expecting, do not act on it. Call your usual AltoPartners contact on a number you already hold and confirm it first.

Our commitment

We take the misuse of our name seriously. We monitor for fake domains and profiles, pursue their removal, and share what we learn with our member firms and across our industry. All AltoPartners member firms adhere to the AESC code of conduct. The AESC also publishes guidance on what to look out for when approached by a headhunter.