A quick-thinking title company owner was able to stop a fraudulent sale when it appeared the scammer was using AI to try to steal properties.
Looking for work? 5 mistakes that will hurt your chances of getting hired
Social media is a place where we can loosen up a little. You can post jokes, silly pictures, or whatever on Instagram, X, Facebook and more. Unlike most social media sites, our sponsor, LinkedIn, is pretty buttoned-up.
You always need to put your best foot forward. After all, it’s where you connect with coworkers and find new careers. That means you should avoid being too personal since that can damage your credibility.
But that’s just one of many common LinkedIn flubs. You may be guilty of a few more subtle errors without knowing it. Avoid these LinkedIn mistakes — they might hurt you in the long run.
Error No. 1: The net you’re casting is too wide
Filmmakers design blockbusters to appeal to a broad audience. They want as many warm bodies in the seats as possible, so they avoid plotlines that may alienate audience members. The plot is all very general: The good guy fights the bad guy, the bad guy loses, they all live happily ever after, and so on.
Your LinkedIn profile doesn’t have to follow general guidelines like that. You want to appeal to niche audiences.
Tailor your LinkedIn page to show people you’re a respectable professional in your industry. If you’re too vague and don’t include personal details, you may have general appeal … but lack individual distinction.
Bottom line: When job hunting, you want to stand out. Emphasize the experiences that make you different. Cast too wide a net, and the best fish will slip away.
Error No. 2: You say ‘yes’ to every friend request
You may get overly excited by the influx of friend invites when new to LinkedIn. You may think a surplus of connections shows recruiters you’re social and have a vast network. However, if they go through your contacts and find obvious scam accounts, that could be a strike against you.
Indiscriminate connections can be tempting, but inflating your numbers makes it more difficult for recruiters to understand who you are. They want to understand what drives you, which helps them determine if you’re a good fit for a role.
For example, if you’re a journalist and have 100 friends in the construction industry, they may wonder what’s going on. Are you considering a career shift? Are you more interested in carpentry than fact-checking?
5 hidden fees costing your small business money
Starting your own business can be exciting, but it often comes with a rocky road ahead. Those rocks will cut into your wallet through several expenses. Miscalculating the daily costs of running a company can hurt you in the long run.
‘It is not real': Title company owner warns of new twist to title fraud
The present everyone fights over
🎄 Holiday party season is here! I gathered up gifts perfect for Secret Santa, White Elephant or any other swap.
- This mini mushroom grow kit is under $20 and grows oyster mushrooms in less than 10 days. Bonus: Snap a pic and the company will donate a free kit to a classroom in need.
- Disposable cameras are in vogue again. This one is 30% off!
- A Flexi Hose. No kidding, I brought one to our office White Elephant party one year, and everyone tried stealing it.
- These mini Bob Ross painting kits are under $10 so everyone at the party can paint some happy little clouds.
- Make sure whoever gets this mini inflatable tube guy (34% off) isn’t the same person who sits next to you at work.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🔞 AI porn star: A 33-year-old adult film star sold her likeness to an AI company to lighten the load of her, ahem, demanding career. Chloe Amour says she loves connecting with fans, but she can’t always fulfill all their desires. Enter AI: Now she can be everything they want, anytime they want it. Business is booming. One guy says he’s dropped $10,000 a month on AI “girlfriends.”
409%
The interest rate on a $1.6 million loan to MyPillow. Owner Mike Lindell and his company have filed a lawsuit against the lender, Cobalt Funding Solutions, claiming they were taken advantage of because MyPillow’s business was cash-strapped. I bet he feels smothered.
Small-biz tip: Don't overlook this digital danger
Are you the type of business owner who forgets about ex-employees as soon as they’re gone? Failing to remove former employees’ access to your systems and data could lead to security breaches. Don’t let poor offboarding practices be the weak link in your cybersecurity chain.
Hiring or looking for a job? Upgrade your LinkedIn profile to stand out
When most people find themselves unemployed or are looking for a career change, they head to a job board. But have you heard of LinkedIn? It’s a social media platform with a twist.
LinkedIn also offers excellent options for those looking to hire employees who don’t want to wait for a sea of faceless applications to pour in. It provides prospective employees unique ways to stand out and gives companies a fresh way to look for new talent. Tap or click for smart things you should be doing with your LinkedIn profile.
Putting the “AI” in “encyclopedia”: Britannica isn’t a dusty bookmaker killed by Wikipedia. The billion-dollar company now creates AI-powered customer service tools and websites that get 7 billion views a year. They’re also developing AI-driven educational software. Other companies, take note: This is how you adapt.
“AI Therapist”: That’s a new job title in the AI world. Kyle Fish’s gig at an AI company (paywall link) is to make sure the AI systems are treated ethically as they evolve so they can be more likely to achieve consciousness. I’ve always said being polite to your bot generates better answers.
Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it
How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.
Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.
A new credit card fee: Several credit card companies, including Citibank and Synchrony Bank, are charging a $1.99 monthly fee for paper statements. Printing and mailing costs financial institutions $600 million, so they want us to pay for it. Call your card company and ask them to email you the “Schumer box.” It’s an easy-to-read table of all their fees.
$10 for remote start
That’s what Mazda is charging for its connected features. They used to be free, and there was even an open-source (free) workaround. Yep, Mazda had that taken down. They’re not the only car company charging for previously free stuff.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an insurance drone! Just ask Mike Arman, who was spied on twice by two different insurers. The first refused to renew his policy after satellite images showed his roof “looked deteriorated.” The second hit him with a 25% increase when it was time to renew. Your insurance company could start doing the same.
🧬 Your DNA, for sale: 23andMe’s stock is close to being delisted, and the entire board of directors has quit. Now, the CEO says she’s open to selling the company, including the DNA of 15 million customers. Imagine insurers using your genetic predispositions to calculate your risk. Ugh. Log in and delete your account ASAP. Here’s how. I told ya not to use this service so many times for so many years …
🏠 Buying or selling property? Scammers are targeting you. A sharp title company owner just stopped a fraudulent sale. The first clue: The seller’s driver’s license was from West Virginia, but the property tax bills had been sent to the Bahamas since 1978. They asked the seller to video chat to confirm, and the seller, a woman who said she was deaf, turned out to be a looped AI video. Here’s what the faker looked like.
So much data left exposed for anyone to see
Another day, another monumental data breach. Just because they’re getting more common doesn’t mean you can tune it out. In fact, it’s time to get even more serious about your private information and what’s posted online.
Hope you don’t have any 23andMe stock: The DNA testing company peaked at a $6 billion valuation. It’s now down 99%, and CEO Anne Wojcicki wants to take the company private. When they heard that plan, the entire board of directors said, “See ya.” Anne has until Oct. 3 to comply with Nasdaq’s qualifications or the company will be delisted.
⏰ The clock is TikTok-ing: A three-judge panel just heard TikTok’s argument against splitting from ByteDance, a company with direct ties to Communist China. They say 170 million Americans use TikTok (think of that loss of productivity!) and questioned why other Chinese-owned apps like Temu and Shein aren’t being targeted the same way. I hope Mr. Wonderful’s idea of letting everyday Americans buy TikTok comes to fruition.
Scam emails we got this week – Don’t fall for this junk!
Eight billion. That’s how many spam emails go out in the U.S. every single day. Komando staff (me included!) have received some real winners recently. Here’s a look at actual spam emails circulating right now. I want to keep you safe from junk like this, so read carefully!