Bengaluru woman’s viral post exposes dubious offer that security experts warn could lead to identity theft and fraud
A marketing professional in Bengaluru has sparked widespread concern after revealing an unsolicited offer to “rent” her LinkedIn profile for money, raising red flags about a potential new form of online scam targeting professionals.
LinkedIn Users Targeted in Bizarre Account Rental Scheme
Nikhita Anil shared her experience on LinkedIn itself, describing the proposition as “wild” and questioning whether this practice was becoming more common among users of the professional networking platform.
“Most of you, all urban working corporate slaves like me, must be living in rented apartments. And some of you lucky ones with generational wealth are probably renting out your apartments. But, have you ever heard of renting out your LinkedIn account?” Anil wrote in her post, which has since gone viral.
The unusual solicitation came from an unidentified individual who approached Anil with an offer to “borrow” her profile for an unspecified period in exchange for financial compensation. When Anil requested clarification, the sender explained: “My friend’s company needs some LinkedIn accounts to expand their market. Would you be willing to rent yours in exchange for some compensation?”
Further details revealed that the arrangement would pay $20 weekly, but with concerning stipulations. During the rental period, Anil would be prohibited from changing any security settings or personal information on her account. Most alarmingly, the proposition required her to surrender her full login credentials while being assured her existing connections would remain undisturbed.
“You need to provide the account and password, and we will log into your account. We will pay a $10 deposit for goodwill that same night. Once rented, you cannot change the password at will. We will update all your personal information, but we won’t disturb your existing contacts. You will only need to help lift the restriction if your LinkedIn account gets restricted; other than that, you don’t need to do anything,” the message detailed.
Cybersecurity experts have expressed serious concerns about this emerging tactic, noting that surrendering control of professional social media accounts could lead to identity theft, professional reputation damage, and potentially fraudulent activities conducted under the victim’s name.
“This is essentially asking someone to hand over their professional identity,” said Rahul Sharma, a Bengaluru-based cybersecurity consultant. “Once someone has control of your LinkedIn profile, they could use it for malicious purposes like phishing your contacts, spreading misinformation, or even conducting business scams that appear to come from a legitimate professional.”
LinkedIn Responds to Rise in Professional Networking Scams
LinkedIn has responded to the incident, issuing a statement to The Indian Express that emphasized their ongoing efforts to combat such schemes.
“As the world’s largest professional networking platform, we use technology and teams of experts to find and remove scams, with 99.7 per cent stopped proactively before a member reports them. We encourage members to report any inappropriate comments or messages on LinkedIn so our team can help protect them,” the statement read.
This case illustrates the evolving patterns of online scams targeting professional networks in particular. Unlike traditional phishing attempts that may target financial information, these techniques exploit professional reputation and existing networks developed over the years.
Digital rights organizations have pointed out that such scams are particularly dangerous because they can bypass traditional security measures by utilizing legitimate, trusted accounts to spread malicious material or carry out fraudulent transactions.
The trend has caused particular concern in Bengaluru, India’s tech hub, where a dense concentration of IT professionals have active LinkedIn profiles for professional networking and career advancement. Local police cyber cells have reported a spike in complaints of professional networking scams in the past year.
Experts advise LinkedIn users to maintain tight control over login details, enable two-factor authentication, and immediately report suspicious requests to the site as well as local cybercrime agencies. They further point out that legitimate businesses would never ask for access to accounts for marketing purposes.
As Anil’s post continues to circulate online, it serves as a timely reminder for professionals to remain vigilant of out-of-the-ordinary requests, even if made through established professional networks like LinkedIn.
