I recently had a strange experience with a recruiter that left me feeling uneasy. He reached out to me via email from a Gmail account, which immediately raised a red flag. He presented an executive-level job opportunity, and I expressed my interest. After I sent him my resume, tailored bio, and an executive statement of purpose, he came back with feedback that my materials weren't quite there yet. Then, he suggested I pay someone he knows to help improve my application materials. This felt off to me, especially since I've never encountered a hiring committee outside of academia and there was no mention of an actual interview yet. I decided to back out, stating I wasn't interested unless there was an interview lined up soon. His response was vague, and it seemed like he was more focused on presenting me in the best light rather than actually helping me get the job. I'm starting to think this might be a scam, and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced something similar.