Fraud Alert: Scammers using thoughtbot name and logo for fake app optimization job

Lindsey Christensen
This article is also available in: italiano

It has come to our attention that there is a party or parties claiming to be thoughtbot and offering fake jobs in data optimization and/or app optimization. These parties are illegally and fraudulently using thoughtbot’s name and logo to lure people into depositing money with the false promise of earning a commission from the work.

The thoughtbot team would never ask you for any type of fee or upfront payment or to transfer cash to apply for a job. We will always reach out personally through an interview or an actual meeting before we present any job opportunities.

We are not currently hiring for any roles and will not be for the remainder of 2023. When we do have open roles in the future, they will be listed on thoughtbot.com/jobs. If thoughtbot is reaching out to you about a job, our team will reach out from an email address ending in @thoughtbot.com. In the event that we first reach out to you using another method, most likely through LinkedIN, we would follow up from an authorized thoughtbot email address for further communications.

If you are a victim of this scam

If you are located in the United Kingdom, please file a report with Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

We also encourage you to contact any other local authorities.

Here are some tips to help you spot a potential fraud message:

  • You were not expecting messages with job offers from us
  • The message comes from a number/name that you do not recognize
  • The message contains a job employment contract sent via WhatsApp or other social media platforms
  • The job offer seems vague or like an easy job with overly lucrative commissions
  • The message contains link/s, attachments, surveys, or downloadable apps from unverified sources
  • The job offer requires you to create/register an account on a website to carry out said tasks on a dubious website/ URL
  • The message requests that you join a group chat where other job seekers share screenshots of their ‘earnings’
  • It requests you to transfer funds to a bank account

We take such fraudulent activities seriously and are committed to ensuring our team, clients and partners’ safety and privacy. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us through our official channels.

We would like to thank those who have alerted us to these scams.