💼 The Dark Side of Glamour: When Fake Founders Use LinkedIn to Trap the Elite
In the glittering world of entrepreneurship, networking, and social media, appearances often outweigh authenticity. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and even startup meetups have become playgrounds not just for genuine professionals—but for an alarming new trend: high-level escort fraud rings posing as successful founders and executives.
🚩 A Polished Mask of Power
It starts subtly—an attractive woman or man, often claiming to be a co-founder, CMO, or ex-Google/Meta employee, builds a profile laced with elite connections, polished language, and impressive job titles. Their LinkedIn is a work of art:
✅ Buzzwords like "visionary," "serial entrepreneur," or “global strategist”
✅ Fake startup logos
✅ Endorsements from fellow fake profiles
✅ And a growing list of mutual connections from real industry people who accept their invites without a second glance.
They join exclusive panels, webinars, and club events—where confidence, charisma, and clean English fluency make their entry seamless.
But behind this high-profile image lies something else entirely.
🎭 From Networking to Net-Trapping
After gaining trust and access to the right circles, the trap begins.
"Let’s grab coffee sometime, maybe collaborate?" turns into “Let’s meet at this five-star hotel’s lounge.”
Soon, physical intimacy is initiated—sometimes willingly, sometimes under influence, and often recorded without consent. In other cases, hotel bills are cleverly handed over, and those who refuse to pay are subtly threatened with exposure.
Some of these individuals demand money upfront, while others wait until they’ve built emotional leverage. Their targets?
🧠 Senior executives
📈 Investors
📸 Influencers
🧳 Entrepreneurs traveling alone
Many victims don’t speak out—either due to shame or fear of public and professional consequences.
🧩 The Ecosystem Behind It
Shockingly, this is no longer a one-person con game. In some regions, this has evolved into well-structured syndicates where both men and women participate. Roles are split:
Some act as "face profiles" on LinkedIn
Others handle the logistics—hotel bookings, surveillance, and cleanup
Some manage fake startups and websites to back the illusion
In many cases, AI-generated resumes, fake media coverage, and bot-enhanced social media growth help legitimize these actors.
💣 Why It’s Dangerous
This isn’t just a morality concern—it’s a cybersecurity and blackmail threat.
Private data, reputations, and even company decisions can fall into the wrong hands. For investors and founders, the stakes are higher than just a broken heart.
What’s scarier is how good these impersonators are. You wouldn’t suspect a well-dressed, fluent, confident “entrepreneur” with 20 mutuals and 5000 followers to be a part of something criminal. But that’s exactly the point.
🛡️ How to Stay Safe in a Hyper-Connected World
Verify before you trust – Cross-check profiles with real company websites and news mentions.
Avoid oversharing – Especially personal numbers, hotel locations, or emotional vulnerabilities with strangers—even online.
Use secure communication – Always meet in public places, and avoid intimate settings on the first few meetings.
Report suspicious profiles – LinkedIn and other platforms now allow reporting fake or misleading content.
Don’t be ashamed to speak up – Even powerful people fall victim. Silence only helps the perpetrators.
It’s Not Just a "Honeytrap" Anymore
This is organized, calculated, and disturbingly growing. As we glamorize titles like "founder" and "CEO" without validation, we leave gaps for predators to exploit. Be cautious. Not every pitch deck or founder story is genuine—sometimes, it’s bait.
Stay aware. Stay connected—but with caution.
Shrishty Sharma
Manager HR/ Author
Asiatic International Corp
Shrishty@Flying-Crews.com
Shrishty@Air-aviator.com
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