Bookmarked Glut of fake LinkedIn profiles pits HR against the bots by Brian Krebs

Brian Krebs writes about waves of fake LinkedIn profiles, that don’t yet serve a purpose that is clear from the outside. I think that the suggestion it may be to set up a network of bot accounts to later spread misinformation or propaganda makes a certain amount of sense. I think it might not be companies or potential scam victims that are the target. I can easily imagine that the timeline is the actual target. A way to spread stuff on the timeline when needed at some point. A year ago I deleted the timeline from my LinkedIn experience by unfollowing everyone. I did that after seeing the timeline deteriorate since the summer of 2020, until the point it became completely useless. A timeline that is ‘optimised’ not for you but for ‘engagement’ and outside your own control is a timeline that can be manipulated by external actors. That makes it a target. Provided you have enough fake accounts under your control.

Miller says he’s worried someone is creating a massive social network of bots for some future attack in which the automated accounts may be used to amplify false information online, or at least muddle the truthe

Brian Krebs