How many self-employed research associates does it take to change a light bulb?

I loved LinkedIn. I really do. The connections I’ve made on the platform have been useful for professional networking. I often use it to find industry experts, research job candidates, share updates, and learn about new topic areas.

I get quite a few requests to connect, probably because I include my LinkedIn profile on this blog. I check out the backgrounds of people I don’t know personally; if they are experienced people in the healthcare field I often accept.

I loved LinkedIn. I really do. The connections I’ve made on the platform have been useful for professional networking. I often use it to find industry experts, research job candidates, share updates, and learn about new topic areas.

I get quite a few requests to connect, probably because I include my LinkedIn profile on this blog. I check out the backgrounds of people I don’t know personally; if they are experienced people in the healthcare field I often accept.

But since the summer I’ve been receiving a lot of spam invitations. A very high percentage are from people describing themselves as “Research Associate at Self-Employed.” What does that even mean?

My best guess is this kind of spam or phishing attempt. I tried contacting LinkedIn about it in July, but no luck. Still, the invites continue unabated. Here are some from the past few days:

LinkedIn better get this under control or it will hurt them and may cause damage to others.

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By healthcare business consultant David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group.