Why You Should NEVER Leave Your Email in a LinkedIn Comment (And How to Spot the Trap)

I've been on LinkedIn long enough to know that not everything on that platform is what it looks like.

But even I had to stop scrolling one afternoon when I saw a post that said — I'm paraphrasing — "MASSIVE HIRING! WFH Data Entry, Government Office Openings, No Experience Needed! Drop your email below to receive the application form."

The comments were already flooded. Hundreds of people. Real names, real email addresses, just sitting there in public. And most of them were Filipinos — people genuinely looking for a side hustle, a better opportunity, or maybe their first break.

I didn't comment. But I wanted to reach through the screen and tell every single one of those people: please, don't do this.

What's Actually Happening There

Here's the thing about LinkedIn comments — they're public. When you drop your email in a comment thread, it's not going out to just the person who posted. It's visible to everyone. Every recruiter, every stranger, every bot that crawls social media looking for exactly this.

What most people don't realize is that this is a well-known method for harvesting email addresses in bulk. The person running the post doesn't even have to do anything illegal. You voluntarily handed them your contact information in front of the whole internet.

What happens next?

• Your email gets added to a spam list
• You start receiving phishing emails pretending to be job offers, banks, or government agencies
• Some of those emails have attachments — and opening the wrong one can compromise your device or your accounts
• In worse cases, your email becomes a starting point for identity theft attempts

And the original poster? They might have thousands of emails now. That's a database. That's worth money to the wrong people.

How to Spot These Posts

They follow a pattern. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

The offer is too broad and too easy. "No experience needed, WFH, government-connected, high pay." Real job postings are specific. They have company names, job descriptions, application portals.

The instruction is always "comment your email." No legitimate recruiter asks for this. Real companies have application forms, career pages, or HR email addresses they give you directly — not the other way around.

The post blows up fast. Hundreds of comments in minutes. That's not organic. That's either a boosted post or a coordinated network.

The account looks new or thin. Check the poster's profile. No work history, no connections, profile photo looks like a stock image — those are red flags. Even if the account looks real, the behavior matters more.

There's urgency. "Limited slots only!" "Apply now before it's too late!" Real hiring doesn't work like a flash sale.

What to Do Instead

If a job offer genuinely interests you, do this:

Go directly to the company's official website and look for their careers page. If it's a government position, check CSC.gov.ph or the agency's official Facebook page or website. If it's a private company, look them up on their own domain — not just on social media.

Never send your personal information to someone you can't verify. That includes your email, your resume, your ID number, and definitely not your address or phone number — not until you're sure the opportunity is real.

And if you've already left your email in one of these comment threads? Consider changing your password for that email, enabling two-factor authentication if you haven't yet, and being extra careful with emails you receive from unknown senders over the next few weeks.

Why Filipinos Are Targeted

I want to say this plainly because I've seen it too many times.

Job scams targeting Filipinos on LinkedIn are not random. They're deliberate. They know that many of us are looking for remote work, that we're polite and trusting, and that we share job opportunities with family and friends without always checking first.

That's not a flaw. That's just who we are — generous, hopeful, helpful. Scammers know this and they exploit it.

The best thing we can do is be informed. Not paranoid — just sharp.

Before I Close This Tab

I'm not saying LinkedIn is a dangerous platform. It's actually one of the more useful ones for professional networking. I use it myself.

But just like anywhere else on the internet, the rule applies: if it feels too easy and too good, slow down.

You worked hard for your email address. Your inbox is connected to your bank, your GCash, your government IDs, your whole digital life. Don't hand it out in a public comment thread for a job that might not even exist.

Share this with a friend who's job hunting. They might not know. And that's exactly how these things spread — because nobody told them.

-Mavs