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Shortened URL's
/ Categories: Scam Watch

Shortened URL's

The majority of email clients have filters in place to catch suspicious looking emails. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are always searching and finding new ways to bypass these filters. In another new scam, these cybercriminals use shortened LinkedIn URLs to sneak their way into your inbox. When someone creates a post on LinkedIn and they contain a URL, that URL automatically gets shortened if it is longer than 26 characters. These shortened links start with "linkd.in" followed by a random string of characters. What this feature does, is allow cybercriminals to convert a malicious URL to a shortened LinkedIn URL. Once they have the shortened URL, cybercriminals and hackers add it to a phishing email as a link. If you click the link, you are redirected through multiple websites until you land on a false, malicious, credential-stealing webpage. 

Don't fall for this trick!
Always think before you click! 

Tips to keep yourself safe:
-Never click on a link or download an attachment in an email that you were not expecting.
-If you think the email is legit, contact the sender by phone call or text message to confirm the link is safe.
-This is not a LinkedIn exclusive threat. Other social media websites, such as Twitter, also have URL shortening features. 
 

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