IT ALERT: LinkedIn impersonation on the rise in phishing attacks

LinkedIn Impersonation on the Rise: Social media giant LinkedIn has just broken a record it never intended to break; it is now the most-impersonated brand in phishing attempts according to Checkpoint.com.  LinkedIn was actually spoofed in more than 50% of all phishing attacks in Q1 2022.

Cybercriminals are using LinkedIn in their spear-phishing emails as a way to target employees from specific companies or to reach high-interest targets.

Some of the phishing scenarios we uncovered related to job inquiries, job offers, and account/billing questions.  Cybercriminals will use any means necessary to get you to click on a link or attachment.

What You Can Do

Be hyper-aware of your emails before opening them and while reading them. LinkedIn impersonation can be spotted with a trained eye.

• Does the email create a sense of urgency to action?
• Does it start with an awkward or familiar greeting?
• Is it poorly written with bad grammar and spelling mistakes?
• Does it have suspicious attachments?
• Do they request credentials or payment information?
• Is it too good to be true? Look closely at the email address, links, and attachments. 

• Do any of the characters look funny? Like α instead of a.
• Does the email address originate from the organization? Hover your mouse over it to find out.

If you suspect you have received a phishing email, do not click on anything or respond to the email.