I want to share my recent experience in case it helps someone avoid a very serious situation.
I was contacted about a remote position associated with iMerit. The process looked legitimate at first. I went through a video interview, signed contract documents, and created a profile on a platform called 'Scholars iMerit' (scholars.imerit.net/). Nothing seemed suspicious up to that point.
After that, I received urgent emails telling me I needed to complete a mandatory 'system setup' on my personal computer via a Google Meet call. During the call, I was instructed to:
* Download several applications
* Run commands in Windows
* Change system configurations
* Enable BitLocker with a custom PIN
* Provide information related to the BitLocker recovery process
I followed the instructions in real time. After restarting, my computer booted into a BitLocker PIN screen, and initially my keyboard and peripherals stopped responding. At that moment I realized something was very wrong.
I was eventually able to regain access by resetting the BIOS, but the situation forced me to:
* Recover my system manually
* Back up everything offline
* Completely wipe my SSD
* Perform a clean Windows installation
This could easily have resulted in permanent data loss, ransomware-style lockout, credential theft, or identity fraud.
Important points:
• No legitimate employer should require remote administrative access to your personal computer during onboarding.
• No legitimate onboarding process should involve modifying disk encryption under live instruction.
• Urgency + remote control + system-level changes = major red flag.
I don't know whether this was an internal issue or someone impersonating the company, but the technical behavior was consistent with a serious scam attempt.
If you are asked to install software, change BIOS settings, enable encryption, or share recovery-related information during a job onboarding call — stop immediately.
If anyone else has experienced something similar, I would be interested in comparing details.
Stay cautious.