Filed under: Account takeover The exhibit
A LinkedIn contact sent me a weird link, is their account hacked?
Possibly. A first-time or out-of-character message with a shortened or off-brand link is a classic sign a real person's account was taken over. The scammer uses the trust in their name. Don't click, verify with the person through another channel first.
Part of our guide: How to secure and recover a hacked account →
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
EXHIBIT · UNEXPECTED REQUEST
Hey, long time! Take a look at this, I think it's perfect for you: album-view-photos.example/a7x2
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Message or call the person on a different channel and ask if they really sent it.
- Hover the link, shortened or look-alike destinations hide where you'll actually land.
- If their writing style suddenly changed, treat it as compromised.
- Report the message so the platform can check the account.