‘Hello Dear’ LinkedIn scammers target
professionals, business people
December 19, 2014
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
It’s a place to network but LinkedIn, the social networking site that connects business people, professionals and academics, also attracts professionals of a different type: scammers.
And those scammers can range from offering career counseling and job opportunities to a grandmotherly looking new-connection named Evelyn (her last name has a biblical ring) offering you a partnership in some mysterious business.
This scammer, known affectionately as the “Hello Dear” rip off artist as a nod to her salutation once she contacts you, first requests that you accept her LinkedIn invitation.
Although Evelyn’s profile seems legitimate once you accept her request you get a message almost immediately that does not read as a communication one would expect from a professional.
“Hello, i went through your profile and i liked what i read..well i would love to know you and i hope you wouldn’t mind knowing me too and I’m here for a Mission which you and me shall benefit a lot from it and I’ll be glad if you can help to handle it over there, and i will like to share you the Mission so whats your private email address? so that i can explain you the details of my Mission and more about me in full details on your Mail.
Evelyn.”
Although LinkedIn users generally are relatively successful and well off there’s also those who can’t pass up a moneymaking opportunity that Evelyn - and other scam artists - seem to be offering.
The best way to handle such a request is to ignore it, sever your LinkedIn tie and report the communication immediately to the website.
Although scammers normally attempt to fool those that are more vulnerable, by targeting LinkedIn members they know at least their attempts to connect are to people with some money in their pocket.
LinkedIn, with its estimated 300-plus million members worldwide, has made stopping scammers a top priority, including privacy settings that members can take advantage of and ferreting out false job opportunity postings that are meant only to gather personal information.
Don’t be a victim and no matter what the solicitation or from where, ignore all offers and links from people you don’t know. And never respond to spam messages... even if they come on your personal email and have your name in the message title bar and use the email address of someone you know be leery if there is a link... never, ever click on a link unless you are convinced it is legitimate.
Often, if you click next to the sender’s name for more details you’ll see an email address not associated with them.
