LinkedIn Scams: Targeting Professionals with Tailor-Made Schemes
Author: Nichlaus O.
The last thing professionals need is to become the target of scammers while using a job networking site! Yet, it’s no secret that LinkedIn has its fair share of clever cons. Some messages, job ads, and regular posts are full of false information and fake job opportunities for the unsuspecting job seeker.
Common LinkedIn Scams
LinkedIn is a trustworthy website but it needs you to assess information before acting on it.
Fake Job Offers
Unlike fake job ads on Facebook, the LinkedIn ones are more subtle. Some scammers are actually professionals who only intend to engage you for a short-term project, say 2 weeks, then block contact with you when payday comes. They come armed with proper contracts and US tax forms. It’s not easy to spot this scam. You will only realize after the work is complete and sent, that you are not getting paid!
Other fake job scammers are not the professional-grade. Their ads warn you of a coming scam long in advance. What with poor grammar and spelling mistakes, unclear communication, unrealistic terms, promises of salaries way beyond what is real in the industry. Some con artists also try to recruit in informal ways like LinkedIn messages, or even WhatsApp!
Be wary of job invitations that only stay within informal channels. LinkedIn Job Portal is the place for posting legit jobs formally. Employers fill in all the details needed for their ideal candidate.
Unprofessional Contact Requests
Some scammers start their con by complementing your profile. Take the example in the below image from LinkedIn articles.
Their goal is to get your contact for the real scam they have in mind. It could be a sugar baby scam in the making. Keep your heart and money safe, and ignore the message.
Phishing Scams
Scams intended to steal your personal information on LinkedIn, take a clever form - job ads and posts. What would you do if you came across a job ad that you qualify for that needs you to “click here to apply”?
Well, if you want the job, you’ll click and key in your details. Before you do this, verify the recruiter. Match contacts and addresses are given to those of the real company. Try and see if the same job ad is on the official website.
Never rush to fill in any form when online. It could be a phishing link that will simply collect your name, email, phone number, address, and even bank details. Your expected interview will never come!
The goal of this scam is to use the details to access your bank account and empty it. Or, hack your email and collect more valuable information there. Your phone and email could be sold to marketing lists and that’s how you end up receiving spam emails and texts.
Be skeptical toward a new site that asks for your email to read, assess, or download anything. Verify before use. Check its trust score using Scamadviser.
Job Groups on WhatsApp
Some scammers have found a faster way to harvest phone numbers by posting a job ad on LinkedIn. Then, they ask the interested people to post in the comments and give their contacts to be added to the WhatsApp group with employers. Thousands of numbers have been traded openly to spam marketing lists this way.
Investment Scams from Fake Accounts
These have been known to send investment proposals that appear legitimate at first glance. You will be asked to put 15% of the total investment amount in a UK escrow. Some pose as investors, investment bankers, or entrepreneurs with a passion for start-ups and small businesses. But their real goal reveals itself as the conversation proceeds.
They finally ask for funds before offering seed money or investment funds for the start-ups. Some claim to be able to help get a business loan but ask for processing fees first. They are advance fee scammers.
Their trademark is having a polished profile but with credentials that cannot be verified. Some of the companies they claim to work for are non-existent, unregistered, or registered but don’t have them on record as employees.
Fake LinkedIn Tech Support
Some users have been scammed by calls with the warning that their accounts are about to lose “privileges”. They need to act by providing their login email and password for Tech Support to correct the issue.
LinkedIn does not have a customer support phone line. In the help section of their website they have this important message:
“We don't offer a phone number for customer support. Some websites will advertise phone support for LinkedIn for a fee. These websites aren’t affiliated with LinkedIn in any way and we’re proactively working on taking action on them. Keep in mind that we don’t charge for customer support and we’ll never ask you for your password or access to your computer.”
Don’t fall for phone call scammers claiming to be LinkedIn Tech Support.
How to Prevent LinkedIn Scams
- Be careful where you place your CV/resume when you’re on the internet. Not every Job ad is reliable. Some are mere scammers posing as recruiters. Reputable employers will have many connections and decent reviews on LinkedIn. Not so with scammers. Here are some reliable job boards.
- LinkedIn is a job site that helps professionals in networking. Be wary of people who are after romantic connections. They could be scammers. Just focus on your work pursuits and ignore flirters!
- Genuine jobs get posted on the job portal. That’s the convention. It’s the formal and recognized channel on LinkedIn. Genuine recruiters would not post stories with links that redirect to other sites.
- Grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, poorly written and formatted content are all red flags. Professionals work professionally. Reputable companies will not approve poor ads. Scammers can pose as recruiters on behalf of known brands, but they cannot fake professionalism. Look for that and you’ll always see the scammers.
- Always do your due diligence in checking out a potential employer or recruiter. Do a background check: a clear and professional profile, real address and contacts, social media links that actually work, connections to similar professionals. All these can tell you whether a new connection is a scammer or a real and potential employer.
If you fall victim to a LinkedIn Scam
Report to the account and incident to LinkedIn Help. Simply select the category that it falls under and give the details.
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
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