LinkedIn, the popular business networking platform, is unfortunately a common target for phishing attacks worldwide. Scammers often exploit the platform’s features to deceive users, particularly those seeking new job opportunities or career changes.
Phishing Attacks via LinkedIn
Phishing attacks often mimic legitimate LinkedIn notifications, such as “You have 1 new invitation” or “Your profile has been viewed by 63 people”. It’s crucial to verify the sender’s email address to ensure it’s genuinely from LinkedIn. Scammers often send emails that look identical to the real ones, with links to counterfeit LinkedIn pages designed to steal your information.
Another common scam involves creating fake profiles and messaging users about job opportunities. Once they’ve gained your trust, they may ask for a small upfront payment to process your application or send you a link to a form that’s actually a disguised phishing link.
4 LinkedIn’s Security Measures
LinkedIn is actively working on advanced security features to protect its users. Here are some of the current security features:
1. Warning Notifications for Suspicious Messages
LinkedIn’s technology can detect messages from people who are attempting to take you off the platform or are saying something potentially inappropriate. In such cases, LinkedIn will send you a warning notification.
2. Profile Verification
This feature allows you to verify your page’s authenticity. By submitting an additional form of ID, you can get a verification badge on your profile. This reassures anyone viewing your profile that you are who you claim to be.
3. Profile Information
This feature allows you to see the details of a person’s profile to help you decide whether to respond to a message, accept a connection request, or trust an offer. You can view information such as when the profile was created, when it was last updated, whether the member has verified a phone number, and whether the member has a work email associated with their account.
4. Detection of AI-Generated Profile Pictures
Scammers often use AI to generate realistic profile pictures of non-existent people to create fake profiles. LinkedIn has partnered with academic institutions to develop advanced detection features that can identify AI-generated profile pictures and shut down the associated profiles.
If someone in your organization were to fall for a scam and click a bad link, would your internal security solutions be enough to protect your network? MYDWARE IT Solutions Inc. can help you find out. We offer a FREE Cybersecurity Risk Assessment to help you determine if your network is vulnerable to any type of attack!
