As of the 24th of March in the year 2022, LinkedIn has 810 million members across 200 countries. This illustrates how well-liked the platform is among industry professionals and is a fantastic indicator of its success. It is possible for everyone in the world to examine the relationships and career history of another individual.
During the interviewing and selection processes, this effectively sets you apart from the other candidates competing for the position. Con artists have been drawn to the site, so not everything is straightforward. More people fall victim to fraudulent schemes on LinkedIn than on any other social media network.
The vast majority of the time, it’s because users are considered authoritative sources of information. To put it another way, individuals tend to assume that everyone else is a professional in the same capacity as themselves. Because of this illusory sense of safety and the opportunity to form trustworthy relationships with people you have never met, it’s a con artist’s dream come true! If you want to learn more about LinkedIn scams and how they operate, continue reading.
Why Have Scammers Decided To Scam Through LinkedIn?
Scammers perceive many opportunities on LinkedIn because of the number of people that use the platform the most. Active users often belong to disadvantaged groups, such as the unemployed looking for work or fresh college graduates who are not equipped for the working world.
Due to the site’s generally good reputation, people tend to disregard potentially sketchy interactions. Many users believe (and hope) that complete strangers would come up to them and offer help if they get into trouble.
The Most Common LinkedIn Scams in 2023
It should come as no surprise that fraudulent users frequent social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
On the other hand, cybercriminals do not restrict their activities to just those two sites. They have also been seen following individuals on LinkedIn, a social networking platform that emphasizes the value of professional connections. Users are able to steer clear of such behavior thanks to the fact that they are made aware of the most common types of scams on LinkedIn.
• Job Scams on LinkedIn
People fall victim to this kind of con when they get a message on LinkedIn from someone pretending to be a recruiter.
The spammer gives a detailed account of a well-paying job and explains to the user that they are free to fulfill the job’s requirements from any place as long as they have access to the Internet. Many people feel that this offer is too wonderful to be true. The con artist will often reassure their victim that the offer is authentic by claiming that it is genuine one hundred percent of the time.
These assurances are devoid of any significance. When payday arrives, there is no paycheck available for you to pick up. The victim then makes the decision to make contact with the “supervisor.” Still, in many instances, both the “supervisor” and the victim have already disappeared, leaving the victim with no other choices.
Other fake jobs posted on LinkedIn are never even considered for employment at that point. Forbes claims that some con artists send messages via LinkedIn to market career opportunities to those who aren’t paying attention.
These emails include links that direct viewers to websites that seek applications, résumé uploads, sensitive personal data like Social Security numbers, and upfront payments for training programs. Occasionally, these websites also demand that visitors pay for the training. But even if the user follows these directions to the letter, the job is never completed, and the scam artists walk away with the user’s personal information and/or money.
Due to the wide variety of fraudulent offers that target LinkedIn members, users should exercise extreme caution if presented with a job opportunity via an in-platform message. On trustworthy job-search services such as FlexJobs and Indeed.com, it is much simpler to locate real work opportunities that provide a competitive salary.
• Fake Messages & Profiles Through LinkedIn
Scammers use fictitious accounts because they do not want to draw attention to their real identities. They will do all in their power to seem as genuine as possible. They never achieve significant success in this atmosphere.
Most con artists on LinkedIn use fake profiles to further their fraudulent activities. These may take a wide variety of forms, from flattery to forgeries of employment applications. During the course of the fraudulent work offer, you can even get a message requesting you to pay various service fees.
This scam may include a direct funneling method during the first chat; nonetheless, it takes some time to win someone’s confidence. Most con artists will not go on to the next step until they have ultimately won you over to their way of thinking. In some respects, this process is analogous to a sales validation method. Really proficient con artists will even use a sales funnel to target the consumers they plan to defraud.
There are likely further scams that function in a way that is similar to this one. In the event that someone approaches you with information on an inheritance that requires an upfront payment of a transfer fee, for example.
You can consider undertaking a job related to acquiring goods, such as chemicals and machines, as an alternative. You could be enticed to donate money to cover transportation charges for ‘free samples’ that a manufacturer has given you by fraudulent accounts that seem to be from the company. Con artists single you out in this scenario due to your position and the company you work for, and they try to take advantage of you.
Above all else, remember that you will ever come up to someone on LinkedIn and ask for money from you. If, at any point throughout the confidence game, you are asked to give money, regardless of how small the amount may be, you should ignore the offer and fight the urge to do so.
Avoid using LinkedIn and make it a point to talk with the company directly if you are seeking for resources; this is far more effective. Real connections will grasp the logic behind what you are saying.
If you give the situation your full attention, it is usually possible to identify fake accounts.
If you believe that you are at risk, reach out to the Global Payback experts and we will help you out!
• Phishing Attacks on LinkedIn
When a phishing effort is being carried out, you get links or attachments connected to a job application.
This scam is only successful if the target clicks the link and then believes the message they get. When you click on these links, you are giving the con artist access to your login data and information about your account. You are, in effect, providing hackers with access to your information.
In this context, assaults might take a wide variety of forms. Con artists are almost always capable of duplicating your account and gaining access to any hidden connections that are related to it. Fraudsters on LinkedIn will eventually clone your profile to get access to more desirable targets with higher profiles.
Scammers have the potential to see all of your personal communications if they have access to both your account and your contacts. They now have access to confidential information about the company. In this scenario, the attack is covered up by selling your information to companies in direct competition with you or a group that develops ransomware. Companies that go public often require at least 18 months to regain their clients’ confidence after the transition.
Hackers that are looking to take advantage of organizations often utilize this tactic. This often results in more significant payouts that are tailored individually to customers in an effort to earn their confidence. After all, the game is immediately over if even a single player reveals any information.
Therefore, you shouldn’t click on any links4r4 sent to you in emails, messages, or posts on social media. Due to the possibility of profiles being duplicated, no link should be trusted. If you don’t do it, your company as a whole might end up going bankrupt.
• Suspicious Tech Support Messages on LinkedIn
Obviously, phishers do not necessarily need to appear as trustworthy users or employees to target LinkedIn users as victims.
Sometimes all that is required of them is to pretend to be a member of the social media network’s technical support staff. That is exactly what took place in 2017 when an employee at received an email with the subject line “Important User Alert” from “linkedIn[dot]customerservices[dot][email protected][dot]net.”
The recipients of this email were cautioned that if they did not click on a questionable link, there was a possibility that they would be locked out of their accounts on the website because someone had logged in to their account using a different IP address than what was shown on record.
When this was done, the messages were sent to a user-created LinkedIn address; however, at the time of the study, this address was empty. Although it is most probable that this attack is still in the planning stages, it serves as a useful reminder of the frequency with which hackers contact customers while pretending to be support employees.
Certain websites may provide phone assistance for LinkedIn for a fee in order to generate revenue. These websites are in no way affiliated with LinkedIn, and LinkedIn is working hard to find a solution to stop them from operating.
Lost money to online fraud? We will recover your funds !
Step 2
FAQs about LinkedIn Scams
1.) Is Maintaining a Premium Status on LinkedIn a Dependable Choice?
According to the opinions of several authorities, having a premium status is a good indication that an account is genuine.
Even though the vast majority of fake accounts do not have this premium status, premium accounts are not exonerated from guilt because of this fact. Some con artists may pay for a premium service in order to gain your trust so that they can steal your money. It provides the impression that they are legitimate. However, an additional examination is required. When you first encounter a premium account, you shouldn’t automatically assume it’s the real deal.
2.) Is it A Scam – Why is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer Trying to Get in Touch with Me on LinkedIn?
If you are getting questions about the account from people who hold key positions at a company, it is possible that the account is phony.
It could be tempting to welcome these partnerships, but it is important to consider their reasons for doing so. If it’s work-related, Human Resources or middle management will contact you about it, not upper management. The rationale is that top management will pay individuals to do these mundane tasks so that they may focus on growing the business.
3.) What Should I Do If I Have Been Scammed on LinkedIn?
In case you have been tricked into a LinkedIn scam, then first off, notify LinkedIn help, and they will assist you. Moreover, you can reach out to the experts here at Global Payback, and we will aid you in catching your scammer.
Key Takeaways!
Platforms for social networking may be used to facilitate connections with friends and colleagues.
However, we must keep sight of the fact that con artists monitor these sites just like any other website in search of people who are easily duped. As you grow your LinkedIn network, be on the lookout for the many types of scams mentioned above.
