A recent report from Check Point Research has unveiled a startling statistic: LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, is impersonated in nearly half of all phishing attacks worldwide.
Scammers often exploit LinkedIn by targeting individuals seeking new jobs or career changes. While emails with subjects like "You have 1 new invitation" or "Your profile has been viewed by 63 people" may appear legitimate, it is crucial to verify the sender's email address to confirm it is genuinely from LinkedIn. These impersonators craft emails that mimic authentic ones, embedding links to counterfeit LinkedIn pages designed to steal your information upon entry.
Another tactic employed by cybercriminals on LinkedIn involves creating fake profiles to message users about job opportunities. Once they gain your interest, they might ask for a small upfront payment to process your application, which you will never see again, or direct you to fill out a form that is, in reality, a phishing link.
LinkedIn is aware of these issues and is actively working on developing advanced security features to protect its users. Here are three of the current security measures it has already implemented:
- Suspicious Message Warnings - LinkedIn's technology can identify messages from individuals trying to move conversations off the platform or those containing potentially inappropriate content, and it will send you a warning notification.
- Profile Verification - This feature enables you to confirm the authenticity of your page. By providing an additional form of identification, you can obtain a verification badge on your profile, assuring viewers that you are genuinely who you claim to be. This is particularly valuable as scammers frequently seek new targets and their pages are often quickly shut down, meaning they rarely maintain up-to-date information.
- Profile Information - This feature enables you to view detailed information about a person's profile, aiding you in deciding whether to respond to a message, accept a connection request, trust an offer, and more. To access this, go to your profile, click on "More," and select "About this profile" from the drop-down menu. You will then see information such as:
- When the profile was created
- When the profile was last updated.
- Whether the member has verified a phone number.
- Whether the member has a work e-mail associated with their account.
- AI-Generated Profile Picture Detection - Scammers are leveraging AI to create highly realistic profile pictures of non-existent individuals, which they use to set up fraudulent profiles aimed at deceiving users. Alarmingly, LinkedIn's research revealed that most users struggle to visually differentiate between genuine and AI-generated faces. Consequently, LinkedIn has collaborated with academic institutions to develop and implement sophisticated detection tools. These tools enable LinkedIn to identify AI-generated profile pictures and deactivate the associated profiles before they can cause any harm.
Do you rely on LinkedIn for job searches, employee recruitment, or client acquisition? It's an excellent business tool, but maintaining security is crucial. While LinkedIn offers various features for protection, they are only the initial safeguard. If an individual within your organization were to fall victim to a scam and click on a malicious link, would your internal security measures be robust enough to safeguard your network?
We can help you find out. We'll do a FREE consult to help you determine if your network is vulnerable to any type of attack. To book yours, call us at 916-884-0400
