Check a LinkedIn profile photo with a reverse face search

Why LinkedIn photos are worth checking

Fake LinkedIn profiles are built for trust: a professional headshot, a plausible employer, a few hundred connections. The headshot is usually real and stolen, taken from another professional's public profile, a company team page or a stock library, because a convincing face is the hardest part to fabricate. A reverse face search finds the face rather than the file, so it can trace a headshot even when it was cropped or recoloured. Typical reasons to check: a recruiter who wants your passport details, an investor who found you first, a vendor contact nobody at the company has heard of, or a profile that claims to be you.

• Same face, different name and employer on another LinkedIn profile or a company page: the headshot is stolen.
• A stock or agency library: borrowed professional pictures.
• A consistent trail (the same name on the company website, a conference page, press coverage): consistent with a genuine profile.
• A scam-warning post or news story describing the same photo or pitch: stop and report.
• No matches: a new or AI-generated photo. LinkedIn's About this profile panel (join date, verifications) helps when the photo gives nothing.

What is public on LinkedIn, and what is not

How to check a LinkedIn profile photo

1. 1

   Open the photo at full size and screenshot it

   Click the profile photo to enlarge it, then screenshot. LinkedIn does not notify a member about screenshots. If you are logged out and the photo is hidden, the member has limited its visibility, which is itself a data point.

2. 2

   Crop to the face

   Remove the name, headline and the LinkedIn interface so one face fills most of the frame. Headshots are usually sharp and front-on, which is the best case for matching; see the photo tips.

3. 3

   Run the search

   Upload the crop on the search page. The first search is free and needs no account. A deep search covers more public sources.

4. 4

   Compare employer, name and timeline

   Open the source pages. Does the same face sit on a different person's LinkedIn or a company page under another name? Does the employer's own website list this person? Check About this profile for the join date and any workplace or identity verification. See reading your results for look-alikes.

5. 5

   Decide and, if needed, report

   A stolen headshot ends the conversation. Report the profile (steps below), warn the person whose photo was taken only if you can do so safely through their verified channel, and never send documents or money to an unverified contact.

LinkedIn's own verification, and what it proves

LinkedIn shows verifications in the About this profile panel: a workplace verification (a company email or a partner check), and an identity verification through a partner in countries where it is offered, plus the date the profile was created. A verification shows that someone controls that company email or passed an identity check. It does not confirm the person is who they say they are to you, that their role is current, or that the headshot is theirs. A profile created last month with a verified-looking headshot and no verifications deserves the same scepticism as any other.

How to report a fake or impersonating LinkedIn profile

1. 01On the profile, click More, then Report or block, choose Report content on profile or the option that this person is impersonating someone, and follow the prompts. LinkedIn keeps the report anonymous from the reported member. Its Report fake profiles page lists the warning signs it looks for.
2. 02If the profile impersonates you, say so in the report and add your own profile URL; LinkedIn's Trust and Safety team may ask for proof of identity through official channels only.
3. 03If a company's name or logo is being used by a fake employee, the company's Page admin should report from the Page as well.
4. 04If the approach involved money, a job offer that asked for fees or documents, or data, report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, Action Fraud in the UK or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal in India, and tell your employer's security team.

LinkedIn settings that reduce your exposure

• Profile photo visibility: set who can see your photo (Public, Connections, Network or All LinkedIn members). Only Public puts it on the open web. LinkedIn's public profile visibility page explains the options.
• Your profile's public visibility: turn it off to hide the profile from search engines and logged-out visitors; recruiters and members still see it when logged in.
• Off-LinkedIn visibility: controls whether your profile information appears in approved partner services.
• Edit the public profile sections so only what you want indexed is indexed; search engines can take weeks to reflect changes.
• Run a search on your own headshot every few months. Because LinkedIn profiles are public by default, your headshot is the one most likely to be stolen. The find my photos guide has the routine.