Has someone hijacked your LinkedIn profile by creating a false account? 

Here are three tips to fix it.

Linkedin is a powerful business networking tool that is highly valued by search engines as by business users. Even with the recent trend toward more spammy posts, it still ranks high in Google and Bing searches, almost always at the top of the first page. This makes it an incredibly valuable tool for repairing a damaged online reputation or building one.

However, LinkedIn, like other platforms, aren’t immune to misuse. When someone—a competitor, disgruntled ex-employee, or dissatisfied client—hijacks it by creating fraudulent accounts under your name, the results can be disastrous for your business, personal life, and your online reputation. I recently encountered such a situation.

Understand Online Reputation Management for LinkedIn

Online reputation management (ORM) for LinkedIn is a specialized process tailored to safeguard and enhance your professional image on the business networking platform. It’s crucial that the information presented about you or your business accurately reflects your credentials, achievements, and values. 

ORM for LinkedIn involves monitoring content, addressing negative or misleading information, and strategically curating your profile to project a real view of yourself. In an era where a vast majority of employers, clients, and partners turn to LinkedIn to gauge credibility, ORM for LinkedIn isn’t just about damage control; it’s about sculpting a digital identity that resonates trust, expertise, and reliability.

Case Study: Smear Campaign by Ex-Client

A business owner approached me after falling prey to an extensive online reputation smear campaign, likely orchestrated by a disgruntled ex-client. One of the more damaging links was the creation of a false LinkedIn account under the name of the business owner.

The ex-client then posted a series of negative headlines in the profile section, including adding false and damaging previous employers (such as working at a strip club) and uploaded altered images (including one holding a sign saying “I am a crook”).

These actions were highly effective in tarnishing my client’s online reputation, with the manipulated content featuring prominently on Google’s first page of search results

Obviously, these were blatantly false and particularly malicious.

Damaging False LinkedIn Profile Shows Up In Google

The results, unfortunately, were very effective and damaging to my client’s online reputation.

Many of these links, including the images and the LinkedIn account profile, showed up prominently on the first page when searching for their name on Google and Bing. This became a double blow to their online reputation because their name is their business.

As a result of this one false LinkedIn account, they saw their business leads diminished substantially, and, as a result, their sales dropped by half.