LinkedIn Has A Fake Account Problem It’s Trying To Fix. Real Users Are Part Of The Solution

Reposted from CNBC. Authored by Bob Violino | Writer

Anyone who depends on LinkedIn to search for jobs, find business partners or other opportunities is probably aware that the business social media site has had issues with fake profiles. While that is no different than other social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, it presents a different set of problems for users who look to use LinkedIn for professional purposes.

Between January 1 and June 30, more than 21 million fake accounts were detected and removed from LinkedIn, according to the company’s community report. While 95.3% of those fake accounts were stopped at registration by automated defenses, according to the company, there was a nearly 28% increase in fake accounts caught compared to the previous six-month period. LinkedIn says it currently has more than 875 million members on its platform.

While the Microsoft-owned professional social media platform has rolled out new features in recent months to help users better determine if someone contacting them is a real or fake profile, cybersecurity experts say there are several things that users on the platform can do to protect themselves.

"Creators of fake LinkedIn profiles sometimes try to drive engagement through content that links to malicious sites", said Mike Clifton, executive vice president and chief information and digital officer at Alorica, a global customer service outsourcing firm.

“For example, we see those that revolve around posts and content promoting a work event, such as a webinar, that uses real photos and people’s real information to legitimize the information and get others to register, often on a fake third-party Web site,” Clifton said.

How to avoid getting duped by fraudulent profiles

Cybercriminals often rely on a human touch to give LinkedIn users the impression that the fake profile belongs to someone they know, or is two degrees removed from someone they know. “This has been going on for years, and at this point can still evade even sophisticated fraud detectors,” Clifton said. “Like we remind our employees and customers, it’s important to stay vigilant and engage cautiously on social networks to protect your information.”

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