LinkedIn Lets Brands Delete Impostor Accounts From Search

Consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to impostor scams in 2025, nearly triple the 2020 figure, according to the FTC — and LinkedIn is now giving verified companies a direct weapon against the problem. The platform has updated features for verified admins of Company Pages, letting them remove impostor accounts from search results for the company's name.

The stakes are reputational, not just technical. By impersonating a legitimate employee, a con artist leverages the company name to instill confidence in potential clients. The source, PRNEWS, points to a bogus recruiter who charges candidates to "train" them, a phony "sales representative" who defrauds clients by invoicing them, and a fake "spokesperson" who gives quotes to journalists under a legitimate company's name. An invoice may even use a different business name from the one on the sender's profile, making business registration records a useful starting point for checking the connection.

When a company discovers an impostor, the security team typically investigates while comms apologizes to the victims. That split is the problem, argues Mike Hakob, Founder and CEO of Andava Digital and Formstory.io: managing who genuinely represents the organization was once a security task, but it is now a matter of reputation management that comms teams should own. PRNEWS separately reported that in a crisis, employees (29%) are regarded as the most trusted sources — which makes fake employees a direct hit to credibility.

What do LinkedIn's new controls actually do?

LinkedIn introduced three tools:

• Verified Page admins can remove known impostor accounts from company-name search results.
• A pilot with selected companies requires workplace verification to link a profile to a Company Page.
• Another test lets colleagues verify work history, with a badge awarded after enough confirmations.

LinkedIn reports more than 115 million verified members, and says verified members receive 50% more post engagement.

Three steps for comms teams

Hakob lays out a playbook. First, get the Page verified and own the admin role — removal works only on verified Pages, and Social Media Today notes that verification usually means a Premium Company Page or an advertising relationship with LinkedIn. Check settings, then add comms staff as admins in Page admin settings, plus a backup.

Second, report, then remove. Removing a profile from listings doesn't delete it from the site. Report it first and keep records: a log with a case number, time stamp, the profile URL, a screenshot of the profile as it appeared when reported, and the reason for the report.

Third, add impersonation to crisis management plans. Enhance impostor checks during executive and spokesperson monitoring, update "lookalikes" and distribution lists after communications, and assign clear owners: HR for faux recruiters, legal for cease-and-desist letters and takedowns, security for phishing. Prepare a short public statement and a communication to job candidates addressing concerns.

What won't the tool fix?

The removal tool doesn't delete impostor profiles, and verification won't stop scammers from creating new ones. Malwarebytes says verification "is a useful signal, not a guarantee." For comms leaders, the takeaway is simple: the badge and the block button are now part of the reputation toolkit, and somebody on the team needs to hold the keys.