Fraud Alert: Protecting Our Community from Impersonation Scams
Official Notice Regarding Fraudulent Recruitment Scams
It has come to our attention that the name of Custom Media is being used by unauthorized individuals in fraudulent recruitment scams. These scams target freelance professionals in the creative industry with illegitimate job offers.
Custom Media, a creative agency based in Tokyo, takes this matter very seriously. Your trust and security are paramount to us. This page is intended to help you identify these scams and protect yourself from fraud. We are grateful to the vigilant members of the creative community who have brought this to our attention.
How to Identify a Scam
Scammers often create a sense of urgency and excitement to bypass your better judgment. Please carefully check for these common red flags.
1. Check the Email Domain This is the most critical checkpoint. All official and legitimate email communication from our team will always come from an address ending in @custom-media.com.
2. We Will Never Ask You for Payment Custom Media will never ask for any form of payment from a job candidate or freelancer. We do not request fees for equipment, software, training, background checks, or administrative processing. If you are asked to send money or purchase items, it is a scam.
3. Suspicious Requests for Personal Information While a formal hiring process involves collecting personal information, we will never ask for sensitive data like your bank account number, credit card details, or passport information during the initial contact phase. This information is only ever collected through a secure, official onboarding process after a formal contract has been signed.
4. Unofficial Communication Channels Our recruitment process does not involve interviews conducted exclusively via text message or on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Google Hangouts. Initial contact may be via email or LinkedIn, but it will always be followed by a formal process, including a scheduled video call with our team.
Our Official Hiring Process
To provide clarity, here is how Custom Media engages with prospective employees and freelance partners:
- Initial Contact: Our team will reach out from an official @custom-media.com email address or through our verified company page on LinkedIn.
- Interview: We conduct professional interviews, typically via scheduled video conference or in person at our Tokyo office.
- Contract: A formal contract outlining the scope of work, deliverables, and payment terms is provided for review and signature.
- Onboarding & Payment: Payment details are collected securely as part of our official vendor or employee onboarding process after a contract is in place.
What to Do If You Are Contacted
If you believe you have been contacted by a scammer impersonating Custom Media, we urge you to take the following steps:
- Do Not Respond: Cease all communication immediately.
- Do Not Share Information: Do not provide any personal or financial data. Do not click on any suspicious links or download attachments.
- Block the Sender: Block the email address and any other contact numbers they have used.
- Report the Incident:
- Report the email as “Phishing” or “Spam” within your email client (e.g., Gmail, Outlook). This helps get their account shut down.
- (Optional) Please let us know by forwarding the suspicious email to us at: security@custom-media.com. This helps us track fraudulent activity.
We are actively working with service providers to report and shut down these fraudulent accounts. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our creative community safe.