Creating a fake LinkedIn account might sound simple, but it requires a bit of know-how to make it believable and avoid detection by LinkedIn’s advanced systems. It’s not just about creating a new profile—it's about building a credible, fully-developed identity that won’t raise red flags. The following steps walk through how some people create these fake accounts, although this method comes with serious risks.
In this guide, we’ll show you the 10 steps involved in creating a fake LinkedIn account for automation.
The first thing you need to understand is that LinkedIn can detect when you use multiple accounts on the same browser by tracking your cookies. To avoid this, you need to set up multiple Chrome sessions or use a tool like GoLogin to ensure your fake LinkedIn accounts don’t share cookies. This is crucial for keeping your accounts separate and reducing the chances of LinkedIn catching on to your activity.
The second step is to create an email address that corresponds to your fake LinkedIn profile’s name. Use popular email providers like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo to make the address appear legitimate. Avoid using random strings of numbers or letters that might look suspicious. For example, instead of using something like "john12345@gmail.com," opt for "john.doe.business@gmail.com" for a more credible appearance.
Once you have your email, it’s time to register your fake LinkedIn account. Fill in the basic information, including your name, job title, and company. Choose generic titles like "Business Consultant" or "Sales Specialist" to make the profile look believable. Be cautious not to raise suspicions by copying information from real accounts. LinkedIn’s systems are advanced enough to spot patterns and plagiarism.
Next, you need to upload a profile picture that looks real. Most people use stock photos or AI-generated images from sites like ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com. While these images might initially pass as authentic, LinkedIn’s detection algorithms can flag accounts that use these kinds of photos, especially if they’re used across multiple fake profiles.
To make the account appear active, you’ll need to add professional experience and skills. This step is crucial for building credibility. Many people pull information from other profiles to fill in work history, but this poses a risk if LinkedIn detects similarities with existing accounts. Focus on creating a plausible work history in your industry without copying from real users.
Now that your profile is complete, it’s time to start growing your network. Start by sending connection requests to individuals within your target industry. To avoid triggering LinkedIn’s spam detection systems, send only a limited number of connection requests per day (around 10-15). This process will take 15 minutes per day for about 3 weeks, and you’ll need to build up a network of at least 100-200 connections to make the profile look authentic.
To further build legitimacy, you need to post content and engage with other users’ posts. You can share articles, comment on industry news, or like posts in your field. This should be done consistently over the course of several weeks to create the appearance of an active profile. Keep your engagement patterns natural to avoid raising any flags with LinkedIn.
Once your account looks realistic enough, you can start using automation tools like PhantomBuster, LinkedHelper, or Expandi to send out bulk connection requests and messages. These tools help you scale outreach, but using them with fake profiles is risky. LinkedIn’s algorithms can detect automation activity, and if you’re caught, your account is likely to be restricted or banned.
To add credibility, many users create additional fake accounts to endorse each other’s skills and write recommendations. This step is time-consuming and often backfires, as LinkedIn monitors unusual patterns of endorsements and recommendations. Building a solid endorsement profile can take up to 3 days but often leads to suspicion.
The final step is to begin your outreach, sending messages to prospects or scraping data from profiles using automation tools. This is where the bulk of the outreach happens. However, LinkedIn closely monitors messaging activity, and if it detects that you’re sending the same message repeatedly or engaging in mass scraping, it can flag your account for spam.
After spending nearly a month creating and maintaining your fake LinkedIn account—building connections, posting content, and automating your outreach—you’re finally ready to scale your efforts. But then, just as you think you’re in the clear, BAM! Your account gets suspended or banned by LinkedIn.
Time Spent: Wasted.
Connections Built: Gone.
Leads Collected: Disappeared.
All that effort goes down the drain as LinkedIn’s detection systems finally catch up to your fake account. And there’s little chance of appealing your case—LinkedIn is strict about fake profiles and violations of their terms of service.
If you’re looking for ways to scale your outreach without the risk of getting banned, here are safer, more profitable alternatives:
Some people opt to buy LinkedIn profiles that already have a large network of connections. While this might seem like an attractive option, it’s risky. These accounts are often “heated” by bots or operated from foreign countries, increasing the chance that they’ll get banned soon after purchase. Additionally, this practice exists in a gray area ethically, as some of these accounts may be hacked or stolen.
A far more secure and legitimate alternative is to rent LinkedIn profiles from LinkedSDR. These profiles are real, manually used accounts that have been “warmed up” for over three months, with over 500 connections, some are aged account (at least 12 months old). They are ready to use with automation tools, allowing you to scale your outreach safely and effectively.
Some companies ask their employees to use their personal LinkedIn accounts for outreach. While this might be effective for short-term campaigns, it comes with risks. If an employee leaves the company, they take their network and contacts with them. Additionally, LinkedIn could restrict or ban the employee’s account for misuse, harming their professional reputation.
It’s tempting to take shortcuts by using fake LinkedIn accounts, but here’s why it always backfires:
LinkedIn uses sophisticated algorithms to detect patterns common to fake accounts. Whether it’s a disposable email address, AI-generated photos, or mass connection requests, LinkedIn’s systems can quickly flag suspicious behavior and ban the account.
Creating fake LinkedIn profiles directly violates LinkedIn’s terms of service. If LinkedIn detects that you’re using a fake account, not only will that account be banned, but there’s also a risk that LinkedIn will link the fake account to your real one and penalize you.
Getting caught using fake accounts damages your reputation. Prospects and partners who realize they’ve been interacting with fake profiles will lose trust in your business, which could harm your credibility and make it difficult to build meaningful relationships.
Instead of risking your reputation and efforts by using fake accounts, choose LinkedSDR—a solution that allows you to rent real, authentic LinkedIn profiles for automation and outreach.
Tailored Outreach: These real profiles allow you to engage with prospects authentically, boosting your outreach success while maintaining credibility.
Ongoing Support: LinkedSDR provides ongoing support, ensuring that your accounts remain active and functioning optimally.
Aligned Interests: Since we rent accounts and are only paid when you have active, functioning profiles, our interests are fully aligned with yours. We ensure you get uninterrupted access to accounts that consistently perform well.
Creating fake LinkedIn accounts may seem like a quick fix, but the risks far outweigh the rewards. The chances of getting caught are high, and once your account is banned, you lose your connections, your leads, and your credibility. Instead, use LinkedSDR to rent real LinkedIn profiles that help you scale your outreach without the risk of suspension.
Choose LinkedSDR for a legitimate, secure, and scalable solution to your LinkedIn prospecting needs.
