The bad actors pose a “significant threat” to LinkedIn and its consumers, according to Sean Ragan, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., field offices, according to the report. “This type of fraudulent activity is significant, and there are many potential victims, and there are many past and current victims,” Ragan said.
In a typical scenario, according to the report, a scammer will pose as a professional with a fake profile and reach out to a LinkedIn user, starting with small talk before elevating to an offer to make money through crypto investments. Eventually, the scammer leverages the trust earned over months to direct the user to invest money to a site controlled by the perpetrator, and then drains the account.
A group of victims told CNBC their losses ranged from $200,000 to $1.6 million.
The FBI has seen an increase in this particular investment fraud, said Ragan, confirming the agency has active investigations but could not comment…