Scams on LinkedIn? Never!

Network, protect yourselves from scammers by going with your gut when it is clamoring for attention.?Yes, even on LinkedIn.

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This is the way it goes: someone sends you a connection request, seemingly legitimate enough.?Sometimes, they include one of those canned messages LinkedIn suggests.?The type that says you both work in the same industry or area of focus or seeking advice from a more experienced colleague.?You’ve received these, I am sure.?At times they even add some flattery to the message.?In any case, you accept the request.

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Messaging ensues, often without a defined purpose and maybe also with a little more flattery.?Next thing you know, they ask for a form of contact that takes you out of LinkedIn, still without a specific purpose or “to get to know each other better.” End it here!?End it right here.?Remove the connection because this is a scam.?Move on with your life before this goes badly for you.?This is a red flag as this person is now asking you for personal information that they do not need seeing as you have been communicating using perfectly appropriate means already.

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But let’s say you don’t.?(Why!??Why wouldn’t you?)?You exchange email addresses and/or phone numbers. ?At this point, the other person’s conversation becomes more personal and soon they start making requests that are not at all related to job searching, growing their business, a partnership, learning more about branding, etc.?In a nutshell, nothing related to the original purpose of the original reason to connect on LinkedIn.?Typically, this entails asking for your birthday (including year) under the guise of sending you a birthday message when the day arrives, financial investment or loans, or lure you into some other type of scam.

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But, ah, how do you know it is a scam??This person had said they just wanted your advice, right??Right??So, why are they asking you for things that are not related to it??Why the lack of detail? ?Oh, so little detail!?Or contradictions in what they say.?At points, they almost seem angry when you ask for more information or behave as if they are the ones doing you a favor for even connecting with you in the first place.?This is it!?You know it in your gut, in your intuition, in the whole of your experience that this is not legitimate.?You know it’s not above board.

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End this now.?Take yourself out of the equation before you lose anything more than the time you already spent on the experience.?Block the person, remove the connection on LinkedIn and report the profile.

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Thank yourself for not falling for the scam and for protecting yourself.