LinkedIn will start verifying recruiters and employers on its platform in an effort to fight against job hiring scams.
The social media/job posting site announced that it will start requiring employers based in the US, Canada, and Mexico to provide government-issued IDs, workplace verifications, and even educational institution verification to certify the authenticity of the account.
According to LinkedIn, the process will help companies stand out more amidst fake accounts and impersonators flooding the platform, as well as help "provide authenticity signals to others that you're who you say you are."
The site, so far, has already caught and suspended several accounts violating its new policies.
The new authentication feature is currently available to more than 100 countries around the world as LinkedIn moves to make the process accessible to more regions.
The verification requirement was first reported by Axios.
Generative AI, Deepfakes Expand to Job Recruitment Scams
LinkedIn's move to start verifying accounts on its platform came as AI-fueled scams populate the site, preying on unsuspecting victims just looking for livelihood.
A 2022 report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimate that over 15,000 people have fallen victims to employment scams as more turn to digital platforms to look for jobs.
The numbers are estimated to grow higher each year, especially during the past 12 months with generative AI and deepfakes becoming more accessible to the public, including threat actors and scammers.
Several reports have already indicated how recent deepfake scams are becoming more and more apparent as the money being stolen also grows bigger.
Government authorities have already increased measures to combat online scams in their respective countries with varying success.
How to Avoid Job Hiring Scams on LinkedIn?
With LinkedIn's new verification process, it is easier to spot legitimate recruiters just by looking for a verification badge beside their username, similar to verification badges provided by Facebook.
Job seekers, of course, can also access their page to check if the attached employment and company pages are legitimate.
If a fake account is spotted, immediately report it to LinkedIn's moderation team and quickly block the user. It is advised to not interact with these accounts to prevent them from accessing sensitive information.
