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Comment by Topgamer7 | Hacker News Reader

I naively installed the app on my phone, which gave them my phone number. Then I started getting cold calls from people who paid to have access to my number through LinkedIn. I never entered my number anywhere, however the cold callers repeatedly told me they got my information from LinkedIn.

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To be fair, they could just be saying LinkedIn because it's easier than saying they bought the number from some shady middlemen, and people are less likely to react negatively to it. Unless you used a unique number only for LinkedIn, the number could have been shared by anyone (even your telco).

they could just be saying LinkedIn because it's easier than saying they bought the number from some shady middlemen

What's the difference?

I repeatedly get spammed on linked in with "job offers". I took the bait the first time and said I might be interested if they give more info and they just asked for my phone number so I ignored them.

As someone who is looking for a new job, I share your experience: all the recruiters that contacted me insisted on doing it by phone. They also won't tell you the name of the company at first, for fear of you bypassing them and going straight to the company's website.

That said, all calls I've had were from actual, honest recruiters who offered me actual jobs that exist and may fit my profile. I'm assuming that asking for phone numbers is how they filter candidates who are not really interested and make them waste their time.

This has happened exactly the same with me.

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