LinkedIn Impersonation Scams Target Executives: What You Need to Know
- Neil Hare-Brown
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
LinkedIn has become more than a networking platform — it’s a hunting ground for cybercriminals.
In 2025, there’s been a surge in LinkedIn impersonation scams, where attackers clone executive profiles and use them to launch sophisticated social engineering attacks against businesses.
Here's what you need to know about how these scams work, the risks they pose, and how to defend your company.
How LinkedIn Impersonation Scams Work
Profile Cloning
Attackers create fake LinkedIn profiles that look almost identical to real executives — copying photos, job titles, and connections.
Network Building
Fake profiles send connection requests to employees, partners, or clients to build credibility and expand their reach.
Social Engineering
Once trusted, the attacker may use LinkedIn messaging or emails to:
Request sensitive information
Send fake invoices
Share malicious links or documents
Persuade employees to reveal login credentials
Launch Secondary Attacks
Information gathered through LinkedIn impersonation often fuels broader attacks like business email compromise, ransomware deployment, or financial fraud.
Why Executives Are the Primary Target
✅ Authority and Trust
Messages appearing to come from C-suite leaders are less likely to be questioned.
✅ Access to Sensitive Information
Executives often have access to confidential business plans, financial data, and client information.
✅ Public Profiles
Executives usually maintain detailed, public LinkedIn profiles, making them easy to mimic.
✅ High-Value Contacts
Connections include finance teams, HR, legal, and other strategic roles — ideal targets for further exploitation.
Common Signs of a LinkedIn Impersonation Scam
A connection request from someone you already thought you were connected to
Profiles with limited activity but strong executive branding
Slight spelling mistakes in names, job titles, or company names
Urgent or unusual requests immediately after connecting
External email follow-ups claiming to come from the impersonated individual
If any of these signs appear, treat the interaction with suspicion.
How to Protect Your Business Against LinkedIn Impersonation Scams
Train Staff to Verify Connections
Encourage employees to verify connection requests through another channel if anything seems unusual.
Limit Information Shared Publicly
Reduce the amount of sensitive operational detail shared on LinkedIn profiles where possible.
Monitor Executive Profiles Regularly
Check for cloned profiles or suspicious lookalikes using LinkedIn’s own reporting tools.
Implement Strong Email Security
Use email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to reduce email spoofing risks.
Run Social Engineering Exercises
Incorporate LinkedIn-style impersonation into cyber incident exercising scenarios to test your team’s response.
What to Do If Your Executive Is Impersonated
✅ Report the Fake Profile to LinkedIn
LinkedIn typically acts quickly to remove cloned profiles when properly reported.
✅ Notify Staff and Partners
Warn your network that a fake profile is active and instruct them to ignore or report it.
✅ Monitor for Further Attack Attempts
Watch for phishing emails, fraudulent invoices, or unusual requests following an impersonation attempt.
✅ Review Access Logs
Check for any suspicious logins to internal systems that may have resulted from successful phishing.
How STORM Guidance Can Help
✔ Threat intelligence monitoring for impersonation and fraud attempts
✔ Cyber awareness training for staff and leadership teams
✔ Social engineering defence strategy and simulation
✔ Incident response for phishing or impersonation-driven breaches
✔ Dark web monitoring for executive information leaks
Don’t Let Fake Profiles Damage Real Businesses
Cybercriminals know that trust is your greatest vulnerability.
By raising awareness, tightening controls, and responding quickly to suspicious activity, you can protect your business from LinkedIn impersonation attacks — and the serious cyber threats that often follow.
For broader protection against social engineering, identity fraud, and cyber attacks, explore Storm Guidance’s cybersecurity services.
