New Connection – Real or Fake?

The prevalence of fake profiles on LinkedIn continues to be an issue for many people. My recent article “7 Ways to Spot a False Profile” has raised a lot of comments and shares.

If you haven’t read it yet – click here to do that now. 

One of the tips I gave talked about downloading the headshot picture and doing a reverse image search on either Google or Tin Eye. But now I have found a faster way for you to do it directly….. from the profile if you use Chrome.

1. Go to the profile that you suspect may be a fake.

2. Hover over the headshot and either with a PC right click the image or with a Mac hit the control button.
Here is a screen shot showing what you should see.

3. In the drop down menu click the Search Google for Image and the wonders of the internet will show you where else you might find this image.

Do be careful as you may see the image appearing under several references to LinkedIn profiles, like this;

This means the potential false profile is already connected to other LinkedIn members and may not in itself mean they are a fake. That is why this is only one step in verifying a new connection, be sure to follow some of the other steps I recommend to decide if its a fake or real.

What do you do to check potential fake profiles?

P.S. If you feel you might need more help with your LinkedIn action strategy you can check out our various LinkedIn profile packages.  This is what others have had to say;

“It provided me with a rather different view of which areas are important in my profile!” – Senior Leader

“Thank you! I made several notes and will make some good adjustments to my profile. I especially appreciated your advice on groups and skills” – Business Owner

“The review was very helpful, there was a lot of easy stuff I didn’t realize I could add to my profile to improve visibility. The attached summary was also very helpful, especially  the message template area. Thanks again for the great review!” – Student