With over 600 million users, LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking platforms on the internet. Most profiles represent real people looking to make connections and advance their careers. However, there are also fake profiles controlled by bots rather than real users. These bot accounts often try to connect with users indiscriminately in hopes of spreading spam or malware. So how can you tell if a LinkedIn profile is a bot versus a real person? There are several warning signs to watch out for.
Profile Picture
One of the easiest ways to spot a potential bot account is by looking at the profile picture. Many bot accounts use generic stock photos or AI-generated faces as their profile pictures. These pictures will look too perfect or bland. A real person is more likely to use a candid photo of themselves. Bot pictures may also appear pixelated or distorted, signs that they were taken from an online database. Real people tend to use clear, high-quality photos for their professional networking profiles.
Lack of Personal Details
Bot profiles often lack personal details that would be included by real people. For example, there may be no written summary or custom LinkedIn background photo. The education and work history may also be sparse with few details. Real people tend to customize their profiles with a thorough summary, rich background photo, and detailed descriptions of their education and work experiences. Bots simply don’t put in that kind of personal effort.
Too Many Connections
Some bots try to connect with as many LinkedIn users as possible. Check how many connections the profile has – thousands of connections may be a red flag. The average number of connections for real users tends to be around 500. Bots can easily automate connecting with people while real humans connect more selectively.
Spam or Gibberish Content
Bot profiles may have spam links or gibberish content in their posts or messages. This kind of irrelevant content is meant to get around LinkedIn’s spam filters. Real users tend to share legitimate content and write clear messages.
Profile Headline
Bot profiles often have weird headlines like just a person’s name and location. Real people tend to write customized headlines about their professional roles and interests.
Location
Check the location listed on the profile. Fake accounts may list vague or bizarre locations while real people list valid cities along with specific companies.
Varied Endorsements
Real profiles tend to have endorsements from connections for skills related to their job title. Bots may have lots of varied endorsements from strangers for random skills.
Connection Requests
If you received a connection request soon after making your own LinkedIn account, that is suspicious. Bots target new accounts while real people are unlikely to connect that quickly.
Activity Feeds
A real person’s activity feed will show natural engagement like commenting, liking posts, and joining groups. Bot feeds will look more random and sporadic.
Website Links
Bot profiles often link to sketchy websites. Check any sites are legitimate professional or company pages.
Duplicate Profiles
Bots sometimes create multiple profiles with the same name and photo. Search LinkedIn to see if there are duplicate or similar profiles.
Years of Experience
Bots may state too few or too many years of experience for someone’s age. The stated years should align reasonably with their graduation dates.
Short Work Histories
Lots of real people change jobs regularly. However, bots often have multiple short-term work histories lasting less than a year.
Degree Details
Lack of details about college degrees like the specific degree name, attending dates, and activities is suspicious. Real profiles will list more specifics about their education.
Weird Titles
Bot profiles may have dubious titles that don’t align with their listed company or industry. Real people tend to have legitimate job titles.
HTML Page Source
Inspecting the page source can reveal code like “not a real person” hidden in the profile, indicating a bot account specifically used for testing purposes. Real profiles won’t contain unusual HTML comments.
Ask to Connect Elsewhere
Try messaging the profile and asking to also connect on Facebook, Twitter or other networks. Bots are unlikely to respond or engage elsewhere, while real people will be active on multiple platforms.
Too Broad of a Title
Lots of bots use extremely generic titles like “Business Development” with no specifics. Real people tend to have titles tailored to their particular roles and industry.
Identical About Me
Bot accounts created around the same time may have identical About Me summaries or other profile information, revealing their inorganic nature. Real users will each customize their profiles differently.
Conclusion
Telling real and fake LinkedIn profiles apart comes down to looking for signs of authentic customization versus generically formatted pages and spammy activity. With vigilance, LinkedIn users can identify and avoid bot accounts on the platform. Analyzing profiles carefully protects your privacy and ensures you are connecting with real professionals.
Here is a summary table of tips for spotting bot accounts:
Indicator | Bot Profile Signs | Real Profile Signs |
---|---|---|
Profile Photo | Generic, stock or AI-generated looking | Candid, clear, high-quality photo |
Connections | Thousands of connections | Around 500 connections |
Endorsements | Random skills from strangers | Relevant skills from connections |
Location | Vague or odd locations | Valid city with company names |
Connection Requests | Soon after new profile creation | More selective, spaced out |
Titles | Odd, dubious, or too generic | Standard, industry-aligned |