Q: I’ve never used LinkedIn for task searches, so what should I keep in mind so I don’t get scammed?
A: LinkedIn is the largest social network for professionals, which also makes it a regular way for scammers to trick other people into getting a job.
They’ll use a lot of tricks to get other people to let their guard down, so it’s important to recognize some of the red flags related to homework scams.
Often, scammers promise you a smart salary with very unclear job descriptions, hoping that you will receive the salary and not the task itself.
A real position has a very transparent description of the paintings presented, as well as the required qualifications.
Any task you give to pay far more than anyone else in this industry should be viewed with wonderful suspicion.
Before you engage with someone on LinkedIn, it’s your duty to study them and the company they set up outside the network.
In the age of social media and the desire to have a presence on the internet, if you can’t find anything about the business through Google searches, that’s another big red flag.
You can also search for symbols by dragging your profile picture to the Google symbol search page: https://symbols. google. com
If the symbol is a stock photo or has another name, it is a fraudulent profile.
A valid recruiter will have a profile full of activities over a long period of time. If you have not published anything recently or commented on publications, be careful because participating in the network is a fundamental task for all recruiters.
Another red flag is when there is no photo uploaded to the person’s profile or there are very few logins.
While you’ll end up offering your non-public data to any potential employer, it’s not something they ask for at first.
Anyone requesting your Social Security number or bank account details through a link sent via WhatsApp, email or any other direct communication tool will be considered a red flag.
The user interviewing you is not the same user who is going to integrate you, since this is the task of an HR user.
If you’re asked to buy a special gadget from an express seller or pay a payment to sign up or if they offer to send you cash to get started, those are all red flags.
Just like email attachments, any document sent to you through any email app can be fake with malware or include a link to a malicious website. This is not an interaction with valid businesses.
It’s simple to spoof email notifications that appear to be from LinkedIn, so never click on a link in what appears to be a LinkedIn post.
If the notification is legitimate, it will appear on your profile interface when you stop at LinkedIn, your phone app or browser.
It also allows two-factor authentication (https://bit. ly/3e9Wm72) to protect against attempts to steal your credentials.
Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services, datadoctors. com. Ask any technical questions on facebook. com/DataDoctors or Twitter @TheDataDoc.