Any of us can be a victim of a scam, regardless of the amount of information to which we have access. Being aware of this is, in fact, the first step in staying safe from scammers, whether on LinkedIn or elsewhere.
There are some important rules to follow:
Be cautious on LinkedIn, just like you would be on any other social media platform.
If you receive an email that appears to be from LinkedIn, but you're not sure if it's legitimate or not, don't click any links. Instead, log in to LinkedIn from the official page and check the notifications.
Be wary of contact requests from people you don't know. If someone you don't know contacts you, don't click any links. Instead, do a Google search first to find out more about the employer and how reliable that connection is. Ask yourself “how did this person find me? Why are you contacting me?"
Make sure that your LinkedIn account privacy settings only show the necessary information to people who are not part of our contacts. For example, you may want others to see your work experience and education, but not necessarily your phone number.
Use a strong and unique password or passphrase.
Activate two-step verification, also known as two-factor authentication or 2FA. This will be useful if someone else gets hold of your login credentials, as it will make it much more difficult for the attacker to access your account even if they have your credentials.
Never provide personal information such as your ID number or credit card. Potential employers do not ask for your bank details or deposit your salary using your login credentials.
Please note that actual job postings comply with country and tax laws. Easy money tends to be a scam.
Beware of unsolicited offers for financial services or investments through connections you don't know. Today, virtually anyone can set up a website that looks attractive and trustworthy.
Always report a scam to LinkedIn.
