Creating a trusted environment has always been a top priority for LinkedIn and probably that’s why the professional network has been the most trusted social media platform for years. Alas, during the last few years a number of users have complained about cases of inaccurate information listed on user profiles, especially in their Experience section – former colleagues, but also wrongly associated profiles or even fake profiles that might be stealing someone’s identity.
Very often the case might be that someone is no longer an employee in a certain company, but hasn’t updated this on her or his account, intentionally or unintentionally. Or, someone who has never actually been employed there, but is trying to build an impressive resume on the professional platform. This could happen both for experience, and education. So what do we do when we are aware of a fraud?
LinkedIn puts a lot of trust in its members and is rarely suspicious of their activity on the platform. However, if there is a notice submitted for potential fraudulence or inaccurate information, the platform will take it into account and audit it. If you notice such thing, for example, a member who has written that is currently working in your company but is not, as has never been, you can let the platform know by filling out the form here.
You will have to tell more about the fraud if it’s a work position, or a school and its name. You could include all the details that have led you to this fact, and everything you consider relevant. Keep in mind that your notice will most likely be taken into consideration by LinkedIn’s team, so be sure in advance if it really is a case of inaccuracy. By submitting a notice, you also enter your signature below and confirm that you have read and understood the contents of the Notice of Inaccurate Profile Information form.
What about suspicious content?
If you have reservations about a user and feel like her or his activity looks doubtful, you could also use this form to report the account. Some people use the platform to aggressively promote their services or to pretend to be very content and client of a certain company. If you start receiving an unusually high number of invitations from people from the same company or with the same headline, this is often a sign of fake LinkedIn accounts.
A recent investigation by the BBC showed how a certain gap in the professional network could lead to a major con scheme – here is the Madbird story:
That’s why now it is much harder to use the My Company Tab – you have to verify the connection between your profile and the company page in order to see the employee-only experience page.
But How to Spot a Fake Profile?
The member might be sending around promotion codes, by assuring that it comes from good intention, mentioning the brand everywhere, and using narratives to seem convincing of how pleased s/he is with the services. We all know that we can often meet trolls on socials, and even though it is less likely for them to appear on the professional networking platform, there are still chances you have bumped into at least one.
When you notice suspicious activity, you should go to the account and check their information. First, take a look at the profile picture. Fake profiles use attractive images, often professional ones that tend to be very pixelized. Another red flag is if they use a logo instead of a profile picture. If you look closely at the profile, you will find discrepancies that simply don’t add. For example, you might notice the profile photo is of a man, but the profile clearly states it’s a woman. Another example is that the profile image is of a young person when the profile states they were born about two decades earlier.
Be careful when a random user is offering you the perfect work position of your dreams. Recruitment scams are not uncommon on LinkedIn, If you receive a job offer that looks too good to be true, consider that it probably is. Fake recruiters might be on the lookout for personal information or getting access to your connections.
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