New LinkedIn Verification Badge: What Everyone Should Know (2025)
- Manshuk Kerey
- Sep 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 12
LinkedIn is rolling out new verification badges for recruiters and executives, according to The Verge. The purpose is to expose job scammers and fake company representatives. But does LinkedIn actually help to protect you against job-related fraud? Let’s find out.
Another day, another tech company solving problems nobody asked for.
This time, it's LinkedIn with its shiny new verification badges. Possibly, paid ones to make the platform feel "more premium", meanwhile adding an extra monetization source for the platform.
The idea seems pretty obvious at first: give recruiters and executives a "verified checkmark" to instill trust. But honestly, it seems like just another example of security theater, with the bigger question being how to keep the platform safe and not so messy.
Why is the "verified checkmark" not a shield?
LinkedIn is selling you an illusion of safety, but it's a paper-thin veneer. This isn't about protecting you. On the contrary, I see it's giving you a false sense of security, so you'll drop your guard.
Badges won't protect you as a jobseeker or anyone using LinkedIn professionally, and here's why:
Human psychology is the target. Scammers don't target your firewall; they target your brain. A shiny badge triggers our primal need to trust authority. It’s the velvet rope at a mediocre nightclub.
Scammers operate at warp speed. LinkedIn’s policy updates move at enterprise speed. Criminals move like startups: agile, ruthless, and always innovating. By the time the ink is dry on the new verification policy, they've already moved on.
The barrier to entry is a speed bump. Think a "company email" will stop them? Please. Shell companies, $9.99 domains, and spoofed emails are child's play. It’s like putting a padlock on a screen door.
Verified liars are still liars. If their behavior screams "scam," a pixelated checkmark changes nothing. Your gut is better security software than any badge. Don't disable it. Do you remember the crypto gurus on X and Meta, or the business gurus with millions of followers selling digital products for $6,000 each? I fell victim to these scammers once. It hurt so badly.
Trust the conversation, not the checkmark.
If you care about your security, stop trusting pixels and start interviewing people. Focus on building your network. Don't just stack connections. If your aspiration is at stake - protect it!
The unpopular truth is, your network is your greatest firewall. Trust is earned through connections and due diligence, not by a lazy-loaded <span> with a blue background.
Trust your gut and the conversation, not the checkmark.
If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Period.
FAQs:
What is the purpose of a verification badge on LinkedIn? ☑️
It tells you nothing useful about the person behind the keyboard. It's supposed to signal "authenticity" by confirming details such as their company email or ID. It's just a box-checking exercise for LinkedIn's data pipeline, not a detector of human intent. Verified members might get more profile views, but scammers will still get more of your money.
How does the LinkedIn verification badge impact scam recruiter emails on LinkedIn?
The scam is still the same: they steal legit identities or use spoofed domains that look real enough. The badge changes nothing. A verified recruiter with a totallynotavirus.net email is still a scam. Real recruiters use corporate email for a reason. If they're hitting you up from a Gmail account or sending you direct messages through Indeed, LinkedIn, block and delete. It’s not rocket science.
If you appreciate the "Easy Apply" button, BEWARE!!!
What does "verified recruiter" mean on LinkedIn?
"Verified recruiter" means they verified they have a company email. It's a badge, not a background check. Don’t let a pixelated checkmark override your common sense. If they reach out, cross-reference their existence outside of LinkedIn. Don't outsource your critical thinking. 🧠
What are Reddit users saying about verified LinkedIn recruiters?
Reddit is a dumpster fire of bad takes, but on this, they're not wrong. People are seeing "verified" recruiters who still feel and smell like scams. It just proves the badge is a marketing gimmick, not a security guarantee. Trust the crowd-sourced red flags over the company-sourced blue badge. Here is another great article, "I responded to scammers," 2025") sharing a personal experience interacting with scammers.
Can a verified recruiter scam you via text message?
Scammers live outside the platform because LinkedIn's security is too tight for them. LOL, kidding. They use text, call your number, contact you on WhatsApp, or Telegram because they get easily blocked on LinkedIn. Anyone pushing you off-platform immediately is running a script, not a hiring process. Just ignore and block.
How can you identify fake recruiters on LinkedIn?
They're everywhere. They spam keywords, copy/paste generic messages, and have profiles that look suspiciously incomplete or have AI-generated profile photos. Look for the tell-tale signs of low connection counts, no real history, and zero engagement beyond generic spam.
Checklist for Spotting Fake LinkedIn Recruiters:
Forget the badge. Here's your checklist:
Email domain: Is it from the company's real domain? Or some random @gmail or lookalike?
Behavior: Do they pressure you? Are they vague? Do they rush you off the platform?
Network: Can you find mutual connections? Can a trusted contact vouch for them?
Gut Check: Does it feel wrong? Listen to your human brain. It's smarter than LinkedIn's algorithms ... sometimes.
How to tell if a message or job offer is a LinkedIn scam?
A scam is all about the action, not the status:
They ask for money. Ever. For anything.
They ask for sensitive info early. Bank accounts, SSNs, credit cards. Hard pass.
The offer is too good to be true. An astronomical salary for a vague, no-effort job? It's a scam.
Pressure tactics. "Act now," "This is a limited-time opportunity," "Only one spot left," etc.
How do you determine if a recruiter is scamming you?
Trust your due diligence, not their pixels. A real recruiter wants a good fit, not just a warm body. If they can't answer simple questions about the company, the role, or the team, they're not a recruiter. They're a glorified spambot. Treat them as such.
Author: Manshuk Kerey, PHRi, Founder of Phrcert.com
I help global HR professionals get certified without burning out.
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