Fake job interviews with a coding assignment

A recruiter on a real job platform runs you through friendly interviews, then asks you to download and run a test project. The code is malware.

What it looks like

How it usually ends

The company was fictitious. The assignment ran malware on your work laptop, and weeks later attackers used your access to reach company systems.

Red flags

• Interview task requires downloading and running code
• Company has no real footprint
• Final round moved to a chat app

A real case

Binance says a fake recruiter, a fake HR rep and a fake CEO got an engineer to run a malicious “assignment” — the start of the October 2026 theft of about USD 6.3B.

What to do

• Run test code only on a separate machine or sandbox — never on a work laptop.
• Confirm the company and recruiter through channels you find yourself.
• Be wary when a final round moves to a chat app.

Could you spot it in the moment?

In Painted Sky you’re born at random somewhere on Earth and live a whole life — and this scam is one of the fakes that can find you. Make the call yourself, then replay the same life with a lens that shows what was fake.

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