Is this account alert from LinkedIn a scam?
No. LinkedIn is a legitimate professional networking platform. Scammers exploit its credibility rather than the platform itself: fake recruiters pitch high-paying remote roles that end in an upfront 'fee', and lookalike login links harvest the credentials behind your professional identity. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real LinkedIn message from a fake.
Genuine LinkedIn links lead to linkedin.com — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is how genuine LinkedIn contact usually works, the scams commonly run in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and an example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real LinkedIn message looks like
Genuine messages from LinkedIn link to linkedin.com. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- LinkedIn says legitimate companies should not require transfers, checks, gift cards or the wiring of funds as a condition of the application process
- LinkedIn says to pay close attention to profiles that are incomplete, have low connection counts overall, or are not connected to many employees within the company they represent; a complete-looking profile still isn't proof, so check a recruiter through the company's own careers page
- LinkedIn says to proceed with caution if an application follow-up request requires you to click a link to answer additional questions
- LinkedIn says it doesn't offer a phone number for customer support, and that websites advertising phone support for LinkedIn for a fee aren't affiliated with LinkedIn
- LinkedIn says it doesn't charge for customer support and won't ask you for your password or access to your computer
What a genuine LinkedIn contact shouldn't do
- Ask for money, banking details or gift-card codes; LinkedIn says legitimate companies should not require transfers, checks, gift cards or the wiring of funds as a condition of the application process
- Ask you to complete a job application or verify your identity through an external link outside linkedin.com
- Rely on the sender address alone to prove an email is from LinkedIn, or attach an urgent payment demand to one; an address that looks official can sit in front of a scammer, so check your account by opening LinkedIn yourself
- Ask you to continue a job application or conversation on a text or messaging app; LinkedIn lists urgent requests to move off-platform, for example to WhatsApp or Telegram, as a warning sign
- Give you hours to pay or lose an offer; no legitimate employer runs recruitment on a same-day payment deadline
Common LinkedIn scams
- Scammers create fake recruiter profiles offering high-paying remote roles, then ask the recipient to pay an upfront 'training' or 'equipment' fee via gift cards or bank transfer.
- Messages that look like LinkedIn connection requests contain an inert lookalike link such as linkedin-secure-login[.]example directing users to a fake login page that steals credentials.
- Fraudsters pose as LinkedIn support claiming an account issue and request personal details or immediate payment to 'unlock' the profile.
Red flags to watch for
- Any message claiming to be from LinkedIn that asks for money, banking details or gift-card codes before a job starts.
- A link that uses a domain other than linkedin.com, such as linkedin-secure-login[.]example or linkedin-job-offer[.]example.
- Urgent language stating the offer expires in hours or that failure to pay will cancel the application.
- Requests to move the conversation off the LinkedIn platform to WhatsApp, Telegram or personal email.
- Poor spelling, grammar or profile photos that look stock-image generic rather than professional headshots.
LinkedIn scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating LinkedIn typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
An InMail from a 'senior talent partner': 'Congratulations, you have been pre-approved for a remote data-entry role paying $1,500 a week. To lock in your start date, pay the refundable $180 equipment deposit by bank transfer today and message me on WhatsApp to onboard.'
What gives it away:
- A 'refundable deposit' is a payment before any work begins; being asked to pay for anything to complete a recruitment process is a reason to stop and check the company independently
- An unexpected offer of high pay for little work matches LinkedIn's description of job scams: people pretending to be recruiters or employers offering high-paying jobs for little work
- LinkedIn lists urgent requests to move off-platform, for example to WhatsApp or Telegram, as a warning sign
Subject: You have a pending connection request from a hiring manager. View the request at linkedin-invites[.]example before it expires tonight and unlock the attached role description.
What gives it away:
- The link goes to a lookalike address rather than somewhere you reached by opening LinkedIn yourself; a sender address or link text that looks official isn't proof
- A deadline of 'tonight' is an urgency tactic; the useful check is whether the request is waiting in your LinkedIn inbox when you open the app yourself
- Opening the LinkedIn app, or typing linkedin.com into your browser yourself, shows whether a request is actually waiting for you
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious LinkedIn text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from LinkedIn
LinkedIn's real website is linkedin.com and the official app is the LinkedIn app. Reach LinkedIn through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Don't click the link, reply, or pay anything the message asks for
- Type linkedin.com into your browser yourself, or open the official LinkedIn app, and check your messages and notifications there to see whether the request or alert is actually waiting
- Look up the recruiter and their company on linkedin.com independently, and if a job seems real, apply through the company's own careers page rather than any link you were sent
- Report the profile or message through LinkedIn's in-app reporting so the account can be shut down
If you have been scammed in LinkedIn's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you entered your password on a fake page, change it immediately at linkedin.com, enable two-factor authentication, and change the same password on any other account that shares it
- If you paid a 'fee' or shared banking details, call your bank now to try to stop the transfer, block the card and dispute the charges
- If you handed over identity documents for the fake 'onboarding' (licence, passport, TFN paperwork), contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Warn the real company being impersonated, since fake recruiters usually borrow a genuine firm's name
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward any related scam SMS to 7226
Where to report a scam impersonating LinkedIn
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating LinkedIn? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
LinkedIn scam activity in 2026
LinkedIn impersonation currently centres on employment bait. Fake recruiter profiles, often wearing a real company's name and logo, pitch remote roles with generous pay, then convert the 'offer' into an upfront training, equipment or background-check fee, usually after steering the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram. Alongside this runs credential phishing dressed as connection-request or security emails pointing at counterfeit login pages. What never changes: money requested before work starts, links that do not resolve to linkedin.com, and pressure to decide today. The defeating habit is separation: treat every message as unverified, and check the job, the recruiter and your own inbox by going to linkedin.com yourself.
Frequently asked questions
I got a LinkedIn message about a job that asks for payment — is it a scam?
Treat it as a scam until you have checked. LinkedIn says legitimate companies should not require transfers, checks, gift cards or the wiring of funds as a condition of the application process. Report the profile inside the app and don't click any links.
How can I tell if a LinkedIn connection request is fake?
Look the person up yourself rather than relying on the message: open LinkedIn or type linkedin.com into your browser and check their profile. LinkedIn says to pay close attention to profiles that are incomplete, have low connection counts overall, or are not connected to many employees within the company they represent. If the message contains an external link or requests payment, treat it as a scam and report it through LinkedIn's Help Centre.
What should I do if I clicked a suspicious LinkedIn link?
Change your LinkedIn password immediately from linkedin.com, enable two-factor authentication, and monitor your accounts. Report the incident at cyber.gov.au and consider contacting IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
What is LinkedIn's real website?
LinkedIn's website is linkedin.com. Type linkedin.com yourself or use the official app instead of following links in messages, and don't judge an email by its sender address alone, because an address can be made to look official. A 'LinkedIn' login page you reached from a message and that sits on a different address is a reason to stop and open the app yourself.
How do I report a LinkedIn scam in Australia?
Report the fake profile or message inside LinkedIn first so the account can be removed, then report the scam to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au). If you lost money or shared identity documents, also report to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au), and forward any related scam SMS to 7226 (spells SCAM).
Scam message examples
Related scam types
Scams impersonating LinkedIn usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other social names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Jobs and employment scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Phishing scams: how scammers pose as trusted organisations (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Social media scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Recognize and report scams (LinkedIn Help)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with LinkedIn through an official channel.