My old pal Jeff texted me last week, asking if I'd heard of a certain boutique animation studio, one that Wile E. Coyote might hire to make his commercials. Jeff had applied for a marketing director position at this studio through a post on the LinkedIn site. He was then contacted via e-mail, congratulating him for getting the job, and when could he start.
Surprised by the incredible leap of faith this company seemed to be taking - they had not so much as spoken on the phone, Jeff asked for more details about the job. This person, who exists on the company website, wrote back they would be sending Jeff a check to set up an office, then give him daily asssignments. Now, Jeff has worked in advertising for 35 years, none of this made sense. His wife believed it to be a scam, so he reached out to me.
"The number for the studio's owner is on the site, give them a call." I suggested.
Jeff e-mailed instead, and sure enough, his wife was correct. The owner explained that one of their employees had been hacked and their profile 'spoofed' - someone pretended to be them. The owner said they were trying to get LinkedIn to do something about it, apparently not having much luck yet.
Fortunately for Jeff, he had not shared any information that was not already available on the site. Imagine had he filled out an I-9 form. Eek!
So be warned, FLiP friends, the coyotes have LurkedIn!
-Steve
Great tips, many thanks for sharing. I have printed and will stick on the wall! I like this blog.
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