A LinkedIn Observation and the Action I Now Take

Let me start out by stating: I think LinkedIn is great. LinkedIn is great because it connects professionals globally, offering a platform for networking, job searching, and knowledge sharing. It facilitates career growth, provides valuable industry insights, and allows users to showcase their skills and achievements to potential employers and collaborators, making it an indispensable tool for career development and professional connections.

I am a big believer in the power of professional networking and big supporter of LinkedIn to facilitate that. So, if you fit the description above, I’m happy to connect with you. You want to connect with me to grow your global network? Go for it. You think I can help your professional development? Ask me. You want to connect with me because you want my input on something? Reach out. You want to connect because you want to work for my company? Send me a request. I’ll connect with just about anyone who has a legitimate reason to connect.

But there is a darker side of LinkedIn and I fear it is only getting worse. It is the spammers, the scammers, and the fake profilers. I didn’t even realize fake profiles were a thing 8-10 years ago. I found out during a conversation with a friend who is a recruiter. He told me he set up a fake LinkedIn account for a young, attractive businesswoman, who had an impeccable job history and a degree from a prestigious university. He did it to get recruiting leads. Corporate recruiters would reach out to “her” about positions they were trying to fill. She would politely tell them thank you but no thank you and direct them to “her recruiter” (my friend) who had a lot of great candidates. My friend took all these leads, entered them into his CRM, and began the selling process. He used the fake profile to troll for business. I was dumbfounded (naively so).

While you may question his ethics (I know I do), it was a business strategy that worked for him. It appears that the same strategy is working for hundreds, if not thousands, of other people. I have been bombarded with inMails and connection requests from either fake or malicious LinkedIn accounts lately. I receive daily “business opportunities” and “coaching requests” and “hey, you look nice” comments and “send me your personal details” requests. It is nauseating. Are you getting them too? You must be.

Well, I’ve taken action and I ask that you join me. When I get a request, I click on the three dots next to the person’s name. A drop-down menu appears and the last item on the list is “Report / Block.” The first thing I do is “Report” them as spam or some other more fitting description. The second thing I do is “Block” them. It does two things. (1) It alerts LinkedIn and gets the LinkedIn police to open an investigation. (2) Prevents the scammer from ever contacting me again.

I think LinkedIn is great and I am confident that the LinkedIn algorithms and artificial intelligence will eventually figure out how to eliminate 99% of the fakes. Until that time, I’ll keep vigilant. Will you do the same?

By the way, I was sincere in the second paragraph. I am legitimately interested in connecting with you if you’re legitimately legitimate.