How To Spot A Fake LinkedIn Account

Fake LinkedIn accounts can look real at first glance. They may already have many connections, skill endorsements, and recommendations. However, if you know the red flags, a fake account becomes easy to spot.

Here are the red flags I look for before accepting a connection request:

1.?A Perfect Profile Photo

Many fake accounts use stock photos of models, lesser-known actors, actresses, or even AI-generated pictures.

If their profile picture looks too perfect, it’s worth investigating the rest of their profile.

You can also do a reverse image search using Google or TinEye. These search engines will show you if someone has posted the same image previously anywhere online.

2. ?Incomplete Profile

If their profile is missing essential elements such as a headline, a banner image, an ‘about’ section, work history, recommendations, or endorsements, that is a red flag.

If they have an ‘about’ section, keep an eye out for inconsistencies such as spelling mistakes, a lack of personal information, or professionalism.?

However, a skilled spammer can make a fake profile look surprisingly authentic. It’s rare, but even fake accounts sometimes have a Premium LinkedIn membership.

3.?Suspicious Resume

Always check a profile's ‘work history’ section for inconsistencies before accepting.?

For example, if the profile claims they are a CXO but has no experience to back it up, it’s probably a fake account.

Rapidly changing jobs or using generic titles such as ‘manager’ is also suspicious.

Be aware of scammers who falsify their profiles to create plausible reasons for connecting with you, such as saying they work for the same company or attended the same school.?

4.?Lack of Engagement?

An account that has no posts and hasn’t commented on any content or shared any posts is a huge red flag.

The entire purpose of a social networking site is to connect with others; if they are not participating, they are probably scamming.

5. Avoid LIONs

LION stands for LinkedIn Open Networker which means they will accept a connection request from anyone who sends them one.

While it’s important to build your network, quality far outweighs quantity. Having a low-quality network will not serve you.

Since LIONs accept connection requests from anyone, they are likely to have a low-quality network and be connected with many fake and spam accounts.?

You want to know that you are connecting with likeminded people who are also making an effort to connect with the right people.?

6. The single biggest indicator to spotting a fake account: RECOMMENDATIONS

All information on LinkedIn can be faked except the dates of recommendations given and received. By looking at when a profile received their recommendations you are able to determine the relative longevity of a profile on LinkedIn.

If the profile received all of their recommendations within the last few months, you should be suspicious. But a profile with recommendations over the last few years is almost guaranteed to be legitimate.

AVOIDING SPAMMERS AND FAKE ACCOUNTS

Now that you know how to spot a fake LinkedIn Account; here is another key way I practice safe engagement and avoid fake accounts on LinkedIn.

Place A Small Emoji Or Icon Before Your Name

If you look at my profile, you see a small dot. You can put an emoji, a dot, or another character.?

When a bot sends you a message to connect, it will scrape your first name to drop into their script. Your emoji/icon will get scooped up with your name, and their message will look like this:

"Hi, ? Richard. I saw we have a lot in common..."

The inclusion of the dot immediately alerts you that this request is coming from a script/bot, and you can safely ignore the request.

ALWAYS REPORT FAKE PROFILES TO LINKEDIN

LinkedIn policies make it clear that every profile must represent a real person, and they are constantly working to identify fake profiles and remove them from the community.

We can help them ensure LinkedIn is a safe environment for us to connect with real people.

If you suspect a profile is fraudulent, follow these steps to report it to LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/help/linkedin/answer/61664/report-fake-profiles?lang=en.

What other strategies do you use to avoid fake LinkedIn accounts? Let me know in the comment section below.

Your organization needs to leverage the power and success of Social Selling on LinkedIn. Purchase a 30-minute consultation on my website www.blisspointconsult.com - work with us.

About the Author

Richard Bliss is the founder and president of BlissPoint, a social media consulting company that helps improve executives’ online communications and sales teams’ social selling behaviors. A LinkedIn Top Voices Influencer, experienced executive communications manager, and social media coach, Richard has helped thousands of people master social media tools and become fluent in social conversations, building their platforms and confidence to reach their audience and define their brand effectively.

Even if the account is authentic, connecting with a user who does not engage on LinkedIn will decrease the quality of your network.