LinkedIn is continuing its fight against fake accounts. The network website operator on Dec. 12 reported a legal win in a lawsuit to stop false content.
“Recently we won our legal case against TopSocial and SocialBD24, websites that built a business on creating fake LinkedIn profiles to generate inauthentic engagement,” Sarah Wight, VP of legal-litigation, competition and enforcement, wrote in a post. “We’re encouraged by our decisive win and will continue to leverage all available tools — including legal action when necessary — to ensure the LinkedIn community remains trusted and authentic.”
LinkedIn connected the defendants in this case to more than 400,000 fake accounts, according to court documents. The defendants were ordered to pay $43,086 in damages and prohibited from using fake names as well as offering for sale LinkedIn followers, likes, views, comments or connections.
“Defendants TopSocial24, SocialBD24, MD Raju Ahamed and Golam Mostafa engaged in a scheme to create fake LinkedIn accounts and advertise and sell inauthentic engagement on LinkedIn, including fake followers, fake comments and fake likes,” according to court records. “After admitting to operating TopSocial24 and expressing contrition for his actions that violated the law, Defendant Mostafa went silent and stopped responding to counsel’s outreach.”
An attorney for TopSocial is not listed in the court docket.
Final judgement was ordered on Oct. 23 in the case in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
LinkedIn Corp. v. TopSocial24, SocialBD24, MD Raju Ahamed and Golam Mostafa US District Court for the Northern District of California, 5:23-cv-00110.