Every bull market attracts a new wave of scammers, and their fraud attempts take many forms. We cover 11 different scams and how to identify them in our help center.
Lately, scammers have found a new angle: posing as Kraken recruiters and support staff. Their goal? To steal your trust first and your assets second.
They will promise jobs, partnerships or quick money. They will tell stories that seem plausible. They will try to turn the emergency into an opportunity. But here is the truth: real job opportunities can be found through our official Kraken job portal and are not driven by FOMO.
How Fake Recruiter Scams Work
These bad actors are shapeshifters. They will appear as “recruiters” on LinkedIn, email you from similar domains, or send you direct messages on Telegram with “exclusive” openings. They will even borrow real photos of Kraken employees or copy legitimate job postings.
Many scams are elaborate. Some will move slowly before better gaining the trust of their victims, a process often referred to as “pig butchering.” We collaborated with the US Secret Service in an operation that recovered $225 million from this fraud.
Other scams move quickly, trying to use pressure and FOMO to get you to act quickly and without much thought. Then comes the question, often:
- Pay “training” or “equipment” fees
- Provide wallet keys or personal documents
Let’s be clear: Kraken will never ask for payment when hiring, always. Kraken will never ask you for your wallet keysanytime, ever.
Think you’ve found a scammer pretending to be Kraken? Tell us about it here.
How to distinguish what is real and what is risky
- ✅ Use verified @kraken.com email addresses – Scammers use real names of Kraken employees but from unrelated email addresses – If it’s not from @kraken.com, it’s not Kraken.
- ✅ Appear on LinkedIn as verified members of the Kraken team – Look for the Kraken Verified badge.
- ✅ Never ask for sensitive information outside of secure portals.
- ✅ Never force yourself to act or pay urgently.
If someone doesn’t check all four boxes, stop engaging immediately.
What to do if you think you are being scammed
Scammers don’t win because they’re smart. They win because people rush. The best movement you can make is the slowest. Here’s how to fight back, with calm, clarity and control.
Trust your instincts – If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Guarantees of success do not exist in real markets, only in scams.
Move Slowly and Be Deliberate – Doing nothing is often the smartest decision. Fraudsters use urgency as a weapon. Take notes, hang up, and contact the company through their official website, not the number or link they gave you.
Check before you trust – Words are cheap. Verification is not. Real companies don’t make cold calls to resolve your “account problem.” Ask for ID, write down the employee number and follow up through official lines. Fraudsters can fake logos and uniforms, but not legitimacy.
Understanding your emotions – Fear, greed and panic are the trickster’s tools. If someone’s message sparks anxiety or excitement, take a step back. End the call, close the chat, and take a breath before you act.
Remember that scammers build trust – Scammers play the long game. They will mirror your life, your family, your tone, just to let your guard down. This false familiarity is manipulation disguised as empathy.
Passwords, PINs and logins are not intended for sharing – Never. Not with “recruiters”, “support” or anyone else. Use a password manager that generates random, unique credentials. A single breach should not mean the downfall of all accounts.
Public profiles are also available to scammers – Everything you post – names, jobs, usernames – feeds their searches. Reuse the same handle on all platforms? You’ve already given them a roadmap. Lock what you share.
Check website URLs extremely carefully – Fake sites are almost perfect clones and search engines don’t always protect you. Don’t click. Type the address directly into your browser. If the URL appears “disabled”, it probably is.
Avoid the urge to respond – Even “unsubscribe” tells scammers that your email address is active. And this “hello” sent by an unknown number? It’s not curiosity, it’s bait. Silence is your defense.
Take everything you see with a grain of salt – Deepfakes, AI-generated profiles and fabricated news are the new normal. Don’t take screenshots as the truth. Check information from multiple sources before acting – or investing.
Our Commitment to Safety
At Kraken, safety first is part of our DNA. We do not outsource vigilance. We build it, teach it and live it. Productive paranoia is culture. This is how we protect what matters most: our employees, our customers and their cryptocurrencies.
Every time you slow down to check, you strengthen not only your defenses but the entire Kraken ecosystem.
Protect your information. Protect your crypto. Fill out this form to let us know if you think you’ve found a scammer pretending to be Kraken.
The crypto world rewards curiosity, not carelessness. Share this article. Report scams. Stay vigilant. And remember: trust must be earned, never assumed.
How to get a (legitimate) job at Kraken
Remember, there is only one guaranteed legitimate source for legitimate jobs at Kraken. If you are contacted by a scammer about a position, it may be a genuine open job offer with Kraken – one of the ways scammers pass themselves off as genuine. Don’t fall into the trap. Always go to the source.
