How the Scam Works

Scammers are submitting fake Blockstream job postings to various websites like craigslist.

These postings lead to unsuspecting job seekers to communications via email with a fake “Adam Back,” who will offer victims a position at the company and direct users to a fake web page (“Interview Room”) to submit a range of sensitive personal information. Sometimes these scammers will use domain names that look similar to blockstream.com to fool their victims. They may also use a fake google doc form to gather information.

The goals of the scam are unclear, but we assume that it is designed to steal sensitive identity data, due to the amount of personal information that is requested. Attempts to request mnemonic backups may also be made.

The Real Blockstream Careers Page

Blockstream will only ever post job offers on our official website’s careers page and Glassdoor.

A job posting on any other website is not a legitimate Blockstream job opportunity and should be avoided.

We will never direct potential candidates to a website to provide extensive personal details. And always check carefully the email address you’re in communication with. Blockstream employees will only ever communicate with you via @blockstream.com email addresses.

How to Report the Scam

If you have encountered the scam described above, send us the details on our Report a Scam form.

Unfortunately, we are not able to help you with resolving any disputes or recovering any funds, but your report will help us identify high-risk scams, alert the community, and report them to the relevant authorities.

We also recommend that you take these additional measures:

• Submit an international scam report to econsumer.gov, an initiative of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN).
• craigslist: Flag the posting using the prohibited link at the top of the page.
• Fake website: Look up the domain registration details using ICANN Lookup and report the scam to the Abuse Contact Email under Registrar Information section.
• Gmail: Report the phishing emails through your Gmail interface (if available) and report the Gmail account for violation of the Gmail Terms of Use.