How do you spot a fake LinkedIn Profile?

 

That’s a great question! We highlighted this particular profile on the show… Angelina Jolie. Aside from the fact that the real Mrs. Jolie would not likely join 50 LinkedIn groups, there is NO information other than a college. The system asks when you open an account where you are located and what industry you’re in. I’m also pretty confident it’s fairly easy to find a picture of her.

Most people use something along the lines of an istock photo because they know people won’t be as suspicious if they at least have a photo. I’ve even seen one with the watermark still on it, which means they didn’t pay for it!

How do I know for sure this one’s fake? You can see the entire profile for yourself here: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=171352594. Take a look and you may be able to answer that question for yourself. I’m also going to take a wild guess that you’re a member of at least one of the groups “she” is. Why? Fake profile people typically don’t just join 50 groups, but 50 of the largest. That’s how they spread their spam far and wide.

I found this profile because the person joined the Fans of Gitomer LinkedIn group that I own and manage. They had posted three discussions which did nothing more than try to send group members to a phishing site where they could register for sales jobs. In other words, they were list building. Fall for their ploy and you give up your contact information for free.

Have you spotted fake profiles? Share them below in the comments so readers can see more. And, thanks!

How To Spot a Fake LinkedIn Profile - Angelina Jolie