LinkedIn Users Face Widespread Account Hacks

LinkedIn users are experiencing a surge in account hacks, with many profiles being locked for security reasons or taken over by cybercriminals. According to Cyberint, numerous LinkedIn users have recently reported (1, 2, 3) that their accounts have been “hijacked” or blocked, and they are unable to resolve these issues through the platform’s support service.

“My account was hacked six days ago. The email was changed in the middle of the night, and I had no way to confirm or prevent the change,” wrote one affected user on Reddit. “There’s no response from [LinkedIn]. I tried reporting my hacked account, verifying my identity, and even messaging @linkedinhelp on Twitter. No response anywhere. It’s ridiculous.”

Researchers say that some users have even been forced to pay a small ransom to regain control of their accounts, while others received no demands and found their accounts permanently deleted.

According to Google Trends, the number of searches related to LinkedIn account hacks or recovery has increased by 5,000% over the past few months.

How the Attacks Are Happening

Although LinkedIn has not yet released an official statement, experts note that the response time from their support team has significantly increased due to the high volume of requests.

It appears that attackers are using previously leaked credentials or simple brute-force methods to compromise accounts. Users with strong passwords and two-factor authentication have also faced temporary account locks due to multiple login attempts. These users must now verify their identity and update their passwords before regaining access.

If hackers successfully take over a LinkedIn account, they quickly change the associated email address to one ending in rambler.ru. They then reset the password, preventing the real owner from accessing the account. Many users also report that hackers enable two-factor authentication after the breach, making it even harder to recover the account.

LinkedIn representatives have not yet commented on the situation.