Security News > 2022 > July > The rise and continuing popularity of LinkedIn-themed phishing

Phishing emails impersonating LinkedIn continue to make the bulk of all brand phishing attempts; according to Check Point, 45% of all email phishing attempts in Q2 2022 imitated the style of communication of the professional social media platform, with the goal of directing targets to a spoofed LinkedIn login page and collecting their account credentials.

To compare: In Q4 2021, LinkedIn-themed phishing attempts were just 8 percent of the total brand phishing attacks flagged by Check Point.

According to Vade Secure, in 2021 the number of LinkedIn-themed phishing pages linked from unique phishing emails was considerably lower than those impersonating other social networks.

To cyber criminals, LinkedIn accounts present a treasure trove of personal data, as well as an effective means to reach other potential victims en masse and with tailored messages.

LinkedIn-themed phishing emails are more likely to come in the form of fake notifications about messages, contacts and searches featuring the target, occasionally even mentioning that people from specific high-profile companies have been looking at the target's profile.

Users should be aware of this increased interest phishers have been having in compromising LinkedIn accounts and of the fact that not every email that has a LinkedIn logo or comes from an email address that looks like it might be owned by the social network is legitimate.

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https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/21/linkedin-phishing/