LinkedIn is a fantastic platform for professionals. Over 930 million members use it to connect, network and explore business opportunities. But with its growing popularity come some red flags.
There has been an increase in fake LinkedIn sales bots, which impersonate real users and attempt to scam unsuspecting individuals.
This is just one of the many scams on LinkedIn. According to the FBI, fraud on LinkedIn poses a “significant threat” to platform users.
In this post, we will delve into the world of fake LinkedIn sales bots.
Incomplete Profiles and Generic Photos
Fake LinkedIn sales bots often have incomplete profiles. They’ll have very limited or generic information. They may lack a comprehensive work history or educational background. Additionally, these bots tend to use generic profile pictures like stock photos or model type imagery.
If a profile looks too perfect or lacks specific details, it could be a red flag. Genuine LinkedIn users usually provide comprehensive information, headlines, profile information and the like.
Impersonal and Generic Messages
One of the key characteristics of fake sales bots is that their messaging is often impersonal and generic. These bots often send mass messages that lack personalisation or make no specific references to your profile or industry and they often use generic templates or scripts to attempt to engage with potential targets.
Excessive Promotional Content and Unrealistic Claims
Fake LinkedIn sales bots are notorious for bombarding users. You’ll often get DMs with excessive promotional content and making unrealistic claims; they’ll often promote products or services aggressively, without offering much information or value.
Inconsistent or Poor Grammar and Spelling
Real people on LinkedIn pay attention to the grammar and spelling in their messages. You may dismiss an error from an international-sounding connection; but it could be a bot, which will often use poor spelling and grammar or they’ll use it inconsistently.
Unusual Connection Requests and Unfamiliar Profiles
Fake LinkedIn sales bots often send connection requests to individuals indiscriminately, targeting doesn’t take into account relevance or shared professional interests. Be cautious when accepting connection requests from unfamiliar profiles, especially if the connection seems unrelated to your industry or expertise.
