Fake Profiles and Sourcing: How do they affect our day-to-day
Impersonation and fraud had always been an element in human society, but only since the era of social media and alternate social profiles, did impersonation, or fake profiles, become a common practice, which usually takes the form of acting on behalf of made character, without being afraid of consequences. Fake profiles are often used as a cover allowing an individual to scam, promote political agenda and disinformation, or basically, mislead another person or company. But how do they affect us as sourcing specialists and recruiters? This article tries to glimpse the huge influence fake profiles have on our job every day and what we can do about it.
What is the Impact of fake LinkedIn profiles on sourcing?
Here are a few specific ways that fake profiles on LinkedIn can impact sourcing and head-hunting:
- Wasting Time and Resources: As recruiters and sourcing specialists, it is imperative for us to focus and spend our time on many different tasks involving the hiring process. Wasting this precious time on engagement with fake potential candidates can potentially slow down the process and damage the company overall.
- Decreasing Trust in LinkedIn and Damaging Employer Brand: Linkedin, as a social media platform used for sourcing, can suffer from decreasing trust, in case the percentage of fake profiles continues to rise. Since scammers might be hiding behind a fake profile, recruiters might think twice before contacting a candidate, which can damage the company’s reputation. Nonetheless, Linkedin might have difficulties in retaining users and attracting new ones.
- Reducing the Quality of Hires: Failing to identify between fake and real candidates on Linkedin, may eventually cause a recruiter or hiring manager to settle for a lower-quality hire.
In order to reduce the impact of fake profiles on LinkedIn, we can take steps to improve our sourcing and head-hunting strategies, which may include:
· Using third-party verification services to confirm the authenticity of profiles.
· Conducting thorough background checks.
· Training team members on how to spot and avoid fake profiles.
How to spot a fake?
Here are some common signs that may indicate that a LinkedIn profile is fake:
- Profile data inconsistencies: if the bio doesn’t add up, for example, if the work history or education doesn’t correlate with other info, or if some descriptions are incomplete, it might suggest that this profile is fake.
- Lack of Profile Picture or Low-Quality Profile Picture: in case a LinkedIn profile may not have a profile picture, or the photo appears to be low-quality or blurry, it might suggest the profile is fake, since scammers may use a stolen photo when creating the profile.
- Few Connections or Followers: the connections may be mostly other fake profiles. This is because scammers may not have many legitimate connections, or they may be attempting to create the appearance of a larger network.
- Unusual or Inappropriate Content: such as overstated claims about the user’s experience or qualifications. Additionally, the profile may contain spelling or grammatical errors, which can be a red flag.
- No Activity or Engagement: such as comments, likes, or shares. This is because scammers may not want to draw attention to themselves or engage with others on the platform.
- Recent Account Creation: this can be a sign that it was created specifically for fraudulent purposes.
- Place Recommendations: recommendations that do not seem to match the user’s experience or skills.
It’s important to keep in mind that these signs are not ultimate proof that a LinkedIn profile is fake, but they should raise suspicions and prompt further investigation.
Here are some examples of fake profiles on Linkedin:
How does LinkedIn battle fake users?
1- report fake profiles
2- “About this profile”
The first step to fighting fake accounts on LinkedIn is introducing a new “About this profile” section that gives users information like when the user created their profile, if the holder has verified their number, and if they linked a work email.
If a cybercriminal were to use a fake account to approach a target on LinkedIn, they’d have to invest unrealistic amounts of time maintaining and operating a fake account that has a believable creation date. Also, having no access to a corporate email from the impersonated company, it would be challenging for threat actors to validate their accounts as authentic.
The second step is to use AI to catch accounts using AI-generated images as profile photos to give a false sense of authenticity, which is a clear sign of fraudulent activity.
3- Work Email verification
Work Email verification is global and available for select companies:
Having a work email verification means that the individual was able to confirm their work email at one point to the specific company listed on their profile. If your company has been included in Work Email verification, you can verify by providing your current company email address and confirming it through the code sent to that email. LinkedIn plans to roll out this option to more companies over time.
4- “CLEAR”
“CLEAR” is a secure identity platform that provides verification for LinkedIn users in the United States. Starting in April, users can display on their profile that they verified their identity with CLEAR. To do so, you need to provide your government-issued ID and phone number.
Once you verify your identity, your profile will display a new “Verifications” section under the “Connect” and “Message” buttons. Users who visit your profile will see a checkmark next to a “Government ID” banner that will indicate that you have “a verified government ID.” LinkedIn says it believes verification should be available for everyone, which is why its verification features will be available for free.
