It seems that cybercriminals will benefit from the perception that people have about LinkedIn compared to other social networks as a safe and professional site for sharing information and looking for attractive job offers.

While scammers and fraudsters through this network are responding to recent cases, From previous years, there have been cases of identity theft, also known as phishing, through job search platforms.

Usually, this type of cybercrime is focused, ie it does not come with a standard message, but rather the body and the subject are attractive to the user.

In 2018, the Bureau of Better Business (BBB) ​​released a report stating that Work fraud is the third most common form of fraud.

Cyber ​​security company ESET has prepared a report on thisThe main forms of fraud in this social network:

1.Email with fake messages: qWhoever is committed to fraud online, sends explicit emails with messages from the platform, invite the recipient to open the email, click on the attached link and enter personal information.

2. Highly paid job offers: Fake job offers are published With a fairly high salary above average Where is part of the application process Payment for training or medical examination.

For these types of offers, which can be very tempting due to salary and working conditions, ESET recommends that you do a Google search to confirm that the proposed company really exists and is legal.We must clarify that the company does not require any money in the selection process.

3. Pyramid scams: ESET also reveals that it has become very common to receive messages on Linkedin from people who are very disciplined and professional. Inviting part of investments in cryptocurrency, stock exchange or other assets. The goal is to convince the user to pay the money and then the profile will disappear.

Recommendations to avoid falling into this trap

-Look at the emails from which the messages are coming and in case of doubt do not open the attached document or link. In any case, it is recommended to access the social network messages from the application itself or from the website.

– Avoid opening links that are sent in private messages inviting you to register a resume and / or apply for a position.

– Check and update your privacy settings to prevent users who are not part of your contacts from accessing sensitive information, such as email or phone numbers.

– Activate two-step verification or dual authentication factor, as this way it will be difficult to access user information if needed for cybercrime.

-When in doubt about a message or offer, file a formal complaint with linkedIn to prevent other people from cheating.

– If something is too good to be true, it is most likely a fraud.

Common Features of Fake LinkedIn Profiles

1. used before Photos of women taken from image banks or stolen profiles That’s right. Currently they also use photos of very attractive men with the same dubious origins.

2. The profile description reads texts that are also copied from real people accounts. In this case, it is advisable to insert this description into the Google search engine to determine if it appears in other profiles.

3. According to Symantec, another cybersecurity company, the most common words for fake jobs and profiles on LinkedIn and other job search platforms are manager, engineer, and training.

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