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.
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.
Job seekers are looking for a way to outshine their competition, while those looking to hire want to make sure they are finding a good fit. Let’s look at ways to make your LinkedIn profile stand out.
Add a video to your profile for a personal touch
LinkedIn has a feature to highlight your skills: Personal video. Commercial videos and advertisements have become increasingly popular in today’s social media climate, and now you can add one to your LinkedIn profile.
Everyone has a story that led them to their career path, and now you can highlight yours. With this feature, you can add a Cover Story to showcase your specific skills and background while highlighting your personality. If you are looking for a job, this video feature is a great way to shine.
If you are looking to hire someone, this feature allows you to get a personal look into prospective employees’ lives, something you don’t get with just a resume.
Hiring? Stand out as a company
LinkedIn isn’t just great for job seekers. It’s the premier platform for companies to find qualified candidates fast. In fact, it’s the platform we use to find new talent.
But how do you stand out as a company in such a fierce market? There are a few things you can do to outshine other employers.
- Have a detailed “about us” section. Be sure to answer basic questions like where you are based, what you offer and your company values.
- Post meaningful content highlighting your brand. Keep it light-hearted and entertaining to draw prospective employees’ eyes.
- Create a showcase page. This allows you to maintain a LinkedIn-style blog where you highlight your brand daily.
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.
‘It is not real': Title company owner warns of new twist to title fraud
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.
$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.
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.
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.
🧬 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.
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!
If your pics or music are on a hard drive: Data company Iron Mountain says 20% of the hard drives they get from the ‘90s are dead on arrival. Even when stored in perfect conditions, these drives deteriorate; most last only three to five years. Don’t let this happen to you. Use an adapter to transfer your files to a new external drive.
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🚨 If that’s how it is, Soviet: Russia’s propaganda machine paid a Tennessee media company $10 million to post pro-Kremlin content. Tenet Media has a roster of popular right-wing influencers, including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool and Benny Johnson. The hosts say they had no clue Russia was paying them. FYI: Since November 2023, they’ve posted nearly 2,000 videos, racking up 16 million views on YouTube alone.
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.
⚡ Power play: Ford is partnering with utility company Southern California Edison to pay EV owners for sending power back to the grid. Drivers can earn $1 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Sweet deal, considering fast-charging costs about $0.50 per kWh. The catch: You’ll need V2G (vehicle-to-grid) tech that costs anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000.
Return of the Sith: James Earl Jones signed over the AI voice rights to his Darth Vader character before he died. At 91, he was ready to step back from the role. AI company Respeecher cloned his voice using sound bites he’d recorded over the years. As it turns out, this tech was already used in the 2022 “Obi-Wan Kenobi” miniseries.
Buying a house or wiring money? A former Mastercard exec nearly lost $100,000 after scammers got into her real estate agent’s email account. They posed as a title company, requesting an “accelerated” payment (paywall link). The wire instructions had the same letterhead and typography, but the phone number and email were off. Luckily, she called the original number and dodged the scam. Always double-check the details.
🚨 Driving away with your data: Car rental company Avis says 299,006 people had their personal info stolen in an August data breach. We’re talking names, addresses, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers. No word yet on how hackers got in. FYI, Texas was hit hardest, with 34,592 folks there exposed. Stay alert for phishing scams!