Should you accept that “special” LinkedIn opportunity?

Message I received on LinkedIn

The Last Rabbit Hole

The image above is of a message that I received just a little while ago on LinkedIn.

Now some of you are immediately, going “scam” 😃 If you are in that category, read no more — this post is probably of no use to you. If you thought, even for a fraction of a second, that the message might be legit, then read on … I have a bridge to sell you 😀

Kidding … I don’t sell bridges, I sell specialized services 😀

All kidding aside, this kind of message should be setting off all kinds of alarms if you received it. Here are a few things to note:

1. Nobody sends an opportunity just for you — you (nor I) are that special … unless of course, you have a prior relationship with the person who sent you that message. If it’s a stranger, it’s really unlikely that they will seek you — a complete stranger to them — out just to offer you first dibs on a lucrative new project.
2. They don’t actually mention any details of the project nor your actual competency that is of interest to them. They simply use vague phrases which might fit anybody and are sending the same message to hundreds (if not thousands) of other “special” people.
3. Attachments/links — by now, everybody should be trained not to click on…