Are there scams on Linkedin?

In today’s digital era, networking for work has expanded beyond physical limits, and platforms like LinkedIn have become essential instruments for advancing careers and forming connections. With its easy-to-use design and emphasis on professional engagement, LinkedIn has become the preferred choice for job seekers, employers, business owners, and industry experts. However, as the platform’s popularity has grown, efforts have increased to misuse it for harmful purposes.

In this article, we have discussed whether there are scams on LinkedIn, the types of scams and how to protect yourself from those scams.

Are there scams on LinkedIn?

Yes, there are scams on LinkedIn. Scammers exploit the platform using various tactics to target users. Common scams include inheritance or advanced fee fraud, job-related scams targeting job seekers, romance scams, phishing attempts, and impersonations of LinkedIn users or companies.

Types of scams on LinkedIn

Below, we have explained various types of scams on LinkedIn.

Phishing Scams

Phishing is a trick where cybercriminals pretend to be trustworthy sources to get your sensitive data. They might send you messages that look like they’re from real companies, but if you click on them, you could end up with malware on your device. They could even ask for your login details.

Catfishing and Romance Scams

Scammers pretend to be someone else to get personal info or money. They might act like successful individuals or even celebrities. These scammers might even fake a romantic interest in you to get personal details or money.

Crypto and Investment Scams

Crypto scams trick people with promises of quick money from investing in cryptocurrencies. They might come from a new person you connect with on LinkedIn or someone you know whose account got hacked.

The scammer will act like they know much about cryptocurrency and tell you to invest, but only on a certain website. Usually, this website is fake and shows fake profits. If you invest money, it just goes to the scammer, and you won’t earn anything.

Employment Scams

A scammer puts up a fake job that might seem real, even from a real company. When you show interest, they ask for your Social Security number, bank details, or credit report.

However, there’s no job at all. They want your info to steal your identity or do other bad things. Once they have your info, they might vanish or try another trick, like making you buy fake work equipment.

Equipment Scams

This trick happens when you apply for a job on LinkedIn, and the scammer accepts you. They say the company will pay for your work tools like a phone or computer. Later, they send you a check to buy the tools from a supposed supplier. But when the check doesn’t work, you’ll have to pay back the money you spent.

Advanced Fees Scams

Advance fee scams on LinkedIn happen when scammers trick you into paying money upfront by promising you’ll get more or something valuable later. They might ask for your bank details, credit card numbers, and personal info to take the upfront fee and disappear. They often tell convincing stories to fool you. The upfront fee might look like a processing fee or a deposit, but it’s just a trick.

Fake Tech Support

A scammer tells you there’s a problem with your LinkedIn account. They might do this through email, LinkedIn messages, or even a phone call. They could ask you to click a link and give your info or make you download bad software. Sometimes, they might pretend to be from LinkedIn’s IT team and ask you for money to fix a fake issue with your account.

Suspicious Connection Requests

In this type of scam on LinkedIn, someone adds you as a connection not to be friends but to try a scam. They might ask for your info or involve you in another bad plan without you realising it.

Account Takeover Scams

LinkedIn account takeovers occur when someone wrongfully gets into your account. This can happen if they find your info online or trick you into giving it to them.

Then, these scammers use your account’s reputation to cheat others, often with cryptocurrency scams. They might even pretend to be you to fool more people into sharing their account info. This lets them take control of more accounts and keep doing the scam.

Hackers might already have enough of your info to take your account. In February 2023, there was a data leak from around 500 million profiles on LinkedIn. While this leak didn’t have super private details like credit cards, it still helps scammers make better plans to trick new victims.

Lead Generation Scams

Sometimes, people send messages offering their services. While this seems normal, it’s a LinkedIn scam. The service might be real, but the person’s profile is fake.

Malware and Encryption

Scammers can get into your devices when you click on links they send. They might say the link or file is important for work, but it’s bad software.

They often trick people on LinkedIn by pretending to be real recruiters or users. But if you fall for their tricks, your device might get sick with harmful software, and your info could be in danger.

Also read: Does USPS send text messages? USPS text scam explained

How to spot fake profiles on LinkedIn?

Fake profiles play a big role in most scams and are common on LinkedIn. LinkedIn blocked around 16 million suspicious accounts from registering between January and June 2022. If you get a connection request that seems odd, watch out for these signs:

The user is new to LinkedIn.
They have only a few connections (less than 100).
You don’t know anyone they’re connected to.
They don’t like or comment on other posts.
Their education and work details are missing or vague.
Their profile has lots of spelling and grammar mistakes.
Other LinkedIn users haven’t endorsed them.
Their profile picture looks like a generic image.
Scammers often use pictures they find online. You can search the image on Google to check if it’s from somewhere else.

How to avoid being scammed on LinkedIn?

Stay safe on LinkedIn by following these tips.

Only accept invites from people you know and trust. Don’t click on links in LinkedIn messages. Be careful if someone wants to talk on another app like WhatsApp.
If you get a weird email claiming to be from LinkedIn, don’t reply. Instead, go to the real LinkedIn website and report the email at [email protected].
Real LinkedIn emails end in @linkedin.com. Watch out for fakes like [email protected].
Be cautious if someone talks about personal stuff, investments, or quick money. If they ask for strange favours, make sure they’re who they say they are.
Check your active sessions on LinkedIn to see where you’re logged in. You can do this at linkedin.com > settings > sessions. If you see anything suspicious, log out and change your password.
Keep your contact info updated. Ensure your email and phone number are right to get password reset messages. It’s smart to use 2FA for your main email, too.