Hackers are a busy bunch. I'm sure you've received a Facebook invitation from someone you're already friends with, or from a complete stranger. Usually these are hackers with ill intent. It should come as no surprise hackers have targeted LinkedIn as well.
Here's how to spot a fake.
Start by doing a Google search on the profile picture by right clicking and selecting "Search Google for Image." Hackers often use the same stock photos on multiple phony profiles. Generally you should only get a handful of hits on the image - any more than three or four is a flag to do some further investigation. (This works for Facebook & other social outlets as well.)
Other things to consider:
- How many connections does this person have? Once someone determines a profile is a fake they're not going to want to connect.
- How complete is the profile? There are a LOT of "shell" profiles on LinkedIn and while many are legitimate people who signed up and simply aren't active users others are fakes. Either way, why connect to someone that isn't involved in the community? The whole idea is to build a relationship and collaborate.
- Quality of content. Many hackers are not native English speakers so when they do take time to build out a more robust profile you're likely to find bad grammar, misspellings, and poorly written copy.
- What does the invitation to connect say? Many legitimate people don't change the default "I'd like you to join my network on LinkedIn" message, and I'm sure there's some hackers who have figured out how to customize their message.
LinkedIn is a wonderful networking tool. I know I've helped people I've never met in person, and they have helped me. Just because you don't know someone now doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get to know them. Don't be afraid to accept invitations, just be a little more aware when a new invitation hits your inbox.
If you'd like more pointers on spotting a fake, check out this article which proved exceptionally helpful in composing this post.
