This is the ideal time for hackers and scammers to test your defences. When you are distracted by global economic issues and trying to ensure that your business will survive. I first noticed this nasty LinkedIn hack last year. But it has raised its head again this month.

Make one simple mistake and you could pass an infection to all your LinkedIn connections!

If you receive a private message that looks like this, DO NOT CLICK IT.

The message on LinkedIn was from a Fire and Security Manager that I had had several conversations with a few months ago. So the outreach could have been genuine.

Fortunately I remembered that I had seen this hack before.

One slip of the finger and, like a virus, it would have infected my account. AND sent this email to all my connections, putting them at risk too!

I emailed the guy in question who confirmed that his LinkedIn account had been hacked. Worse still, he was completely locked out.

And there was no obvious way to contact LinkedIn.

He didn’t know what to do.

Fortunately, I was able to help.

How to rescue a hacked LinkedIn account

I was able to report to LinkedIn that his account had been hacked from my end.

But I also got him to complete this online form to report a Hacked Account

I followed the instructions on this help document from LinkedIn

Within an hour, he and his account were reunited.

He changed his password and alerted his connections not to click the link in any message he might have sent them.

And this is the best advice…

Don’t click links in LinkedIn private messages

Even if the message is from someone you know well an often interact with. Don’t blindly click a link in a private message. Always check with the sender that they have genuinely sent you a message.

Remember, you are only at risk if you click.

But, if you do, the virus can invade your account and send itself to ALL your connections. This is how it spreads.

Need help with LinkedIn?

Since 2012, I’ve been taking advantage of the power of LinkedIn to find and connect with my ideal buyers.

Download this free ebook. It’s full of top tips to help grow your network with people who are most likely to want to buy your Fire and Security services.

Click here or on the image of the book to get your copy.