What is the scam about?

It all starts with a seemingly legitimate message via LinkedIn, often featuring an attractive offer: collaborations, exclusive tech tools, access to innovative projects, or tempting job opportunities. The scammers’ profiles are very well crafted, with photos, detailed professional experience, and credible connections. In some cases, they even impersonate real companies.

Once contact is established, they suggest holding a virtual meeting through familiar platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. The link, agenda, and participants appear perfectly normal.

The trap is set during the video call: they ask you to download a supposed driver to activate your camera or microphone. However, this file contains malware designed to take control of your device, access sensitive data, and even use it to attack third parties.

Essential tips to protect yourself

Although this type of attack can be very convincing, there are some basic guidelines that can help you detect and avoid these threats:

• Be wary of unexpected messages, even if they appear professional and well-written.
• Never install software during a video call. No trustworthy platform will ask you to do that.
• If in doubt, pause and ask. Taking a moment can prevent a serious issue.

Best practices for staying safe online

Beyond being cautious with suspicious proposals, it’s important to adopt safe digital habits in your daily life. Keep your devices and software always up to date, use strong and unique passwords for each service, and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible. Avoid connecting to unprotected public Wi-Fi networks and don’t share personal or professional information over unsecured channels. Ongoing education and digital awareness are key tools for reducing the risk of attacks. Remember: a vigilant attitude can make the difference between safety and a data breach.