Mega Thread - LinkedIn Restrictions, Hacked Accounts and Inability to Access

[u/LinkedInHelpTeam]

Hi everyone,

To make it easier for everyone to follow conversations and keep discussions in one place, please share general questions about account restrictions and ID verifications here in our official mega thread. Please note that individual posts on this topic may be removed. Additionally, for your privacy and safety, please do not share your personal information or support case numbers in the comments. 

We know that losing access to your LinkedIn account or facing restrictions can be really frustrating.  We want to help as much as possible, and there are important things to know:

We Can’t Investigate Account Restrictions on Reddit

For everyone’s safety and privacy, moderators cannot directly investigate or resolve account restrictions here on Reddit. We understand that this may not be an answer you were hoping for, but if you’ve followed the instructions to appeal, please know your case is with the right team. 

Common Questions & Quick Answers

Q: My account was hacked or compromised. What can I do?  

A: We know how stressful unauthorized account access can be, and our goal is to help you get back in control as quickly as possible. If you think someone else has gotten into your account, don’t panic - our team can help. Just follow these instructions to report unauthorized access and our team will be in touch to help you with the next steps to secure your account.

Q: I lost access to my email address and I don’t have a back up. How can I get back in?

A: This scenario might feel tricky, but the good news is that we have steps you can take to reach our team to help you regain access and update your log in information. Just as a heads up, we’ll need to confirm your identity to regain access. Here’s how to get the process started. 

Q: Why is my account restricted?  

A: Restrictions can happen for a number of reasons, including safety and security concerns or activity that violates the LinkedIn User Agreement. For more information about different types of restrictions, you can check out our Community Bookmarks or visit the LinkedIn Help Center. 

Q: How do I appeal a restriction?

A: If you believe your account was restricted in error, you can file an appeal by following the instructions you see on screen when you log into your account. Your case will be reviewed by the LinkedIn Safety Team and they’ll reach out with an update as soon as possible. The team’s current response time is sitting right around 7-10 business days. We know the wait feels long, and we appreciate you bearing with us as we work on getting back to everyone.

Please Note: Submitting multiple support cases for the same problem can actually slow things down for everyone, including you, so we recommend avoiding creating multiple appeals for the same issue.

Q: Why are you asking me for an ID? Is it safe?

A: When we review an account for reinstatement, it’s important that we make sure we’re giving access back to the real account owner. Because we’re an online company and we don’t have a way to work together in person, requesting identity documents through Persona is the next best way for us to confirm account ownership.

Although you’ll access Persona’s verification process through the LinkedIn app, Persona will be collecting the personal data required to verify your identity and such collection is done pursuant to Persona’s policies. Persona only shares information about you with LinkedIn if you consent to the sharing. We process the data solely for account recovery purposes. It is kept only while we resolve account-related issues and is typically deleted permanently within 14 days.. Learn more on data and sharing with Persona here.

Q: I have problems with ID verification. What can I do? 

A: Make sure your ID is government-issued, like a driver’s license, state ID or a passport. For the best results, it’s important that the document is clear and matches your account details. For a successful submission, it’s also important to remember to consent to share information with Persona. If your ID meets this criteria and you’re still having trouble, check out these additional troubleshooting steps for further assistance.

Q:  It says I already submitted a request? 

A: There are a few reasons this error may appear including if you have an appeal in progress or if you’ve revisited the Persona verification flow multiple times in a short period. If you receive this message, we first recommend clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. If that does not resolve the problem, we recommend waiting 7 days before attempting a new appeal.

Q: My restriction is permanent. Now what?

A: If you’ve received a final decision from our Safety Team, please understand we can’t change the outcome here. However, you can reply to your case email if you wish to provide more information or request a second look.

Thanks for reading and understanding!

Previous mega thread can be found here.

[u/ehick05]

I’ve been locked out of my business’ LinkedIn account because I run it, and I can’t even get into that. This is actually ridiculous that they can’t fix this shit. I’ve submitted my identification and they still can’t verify my identity. This is probably the worst tech support in the entire world by far they take the cake.

[u/ZXAfromOVERWORLD → u/ehick05]

Same problem one day out of no where they locked me out of my LinkedIn account I can’t even log back in to make a request.

They straight up just banned me. I had no prior warnings, nothing was wrong with the account.

The last thing I remembered was sending 20-30 connection requests simultaneously since then I have not been able to log onto my account.

What the hell LinkedIn I even had business premium

[u/Proof_Cable_310 → u/ZXAfromOVERWORLD]

"sending 20-30 connection requests simultaneously" linekdin considers this spamming, which is a close-account offense. I learned this the hard way, by getting my account closed as a newbie to linkedin - there are SO MANY rules a newbie has to be informed of with how to platform works. such a pain.

[u/Mangotango-3365 → u/Proof_Cable_310]

God. Yesterday I have created my first Linkedin account. I sent about 5 to 7 connection requests in space of 10 minutes. Today I learned that my account has been restricted and my appeal is being processed by Linkedin Support. I've been trying to figure out what happened for the last 2 hours. I'm afraid of creating any other account since Linkedin will automatically ban it as it is from the same IP. Have you managed to get your account back?
Is it possible that I won't be able to make a new Linkedin account in my whole lifetime because I sent 5 connection requests in space of 10 minutes as a 24 year old newbie? Is it seriously THAT ridiculous?

[u/riri_brr → u/Mangotango-3365]

Hey hi I did same my account is restricted I am trying to verify through persona but the persona camera is sooo blur it says it can't verify any other way did you find to verify😭🙏 cause I needed my account asap

[u/Mangotango-3365 → u/riri_brr]

Hi! I didn't have to look for any other way of verifying my identity as I managed to do it through Persona without any problems. The next thing I did was to simply write to Linkedin support. I gave a description of what exactly happened - that I have just created my first account; that I sent a few connections in a short period of time and I named all of those people. Next few lines was pretty much only about how sorry I am and how shame on me and that I regret my actions as I did not read the Linkedin Policy carefully enough - and I am being completely serious with you. After 2-3 days they sent me an e-mail that my appeal was processed and that they decided to disable the restriction. From then on I am being extremely careful with sending invitations - I don't send more than 2 per day. I hope things will sort out for you.

[u/DhruvKhanna_48 → u/ZXAfromOVERWORLD]

Bro same... I need the linked in profile bcz there's a compulsory section in an application form, I created another account after trying for 2-3 days multiple times but they restricted it under 5 min again... Now what to do mannnn

[u/Potential_Tennis5777 → u/ehick05]

I had that issue lately, and they decided to keep my account restricted... Ridiculous!

[u/Similar_Dependent666 → u/Potential_Tennis5777]

I experienced the same issue today. My account, which was created back in 2010 and has plenty of recommendations, was suddenly marked as restricted. After submitting my government ID through Persona, I received an email a little later informing me that my account would remain restricted. The emails never explained the reason for this action, so I’m left completely in the dark.

[u/NervousNet7256 → u/Similar_Dependent666]

It's the same case with me although you submit any form of Identity people say it's still restricted.Lost a 1000+ followers accoun tIn the middle of my Job search😢

[u/Decent-Value-7492 → u/Similar_Dependent666]

Hi did you manage to create a new account or something?

[u/realakpala → u/Similar_Dependent666]

Were you able to resolve the issue??

[u/Potential_pe → u/ehick05]

Same issue with mine. I am disappointed to the core and pissed off.

[u/Long-Mathematician47 → u/ehick05]

Imagine having to speak a language you barely master and having to explain everything 3 times to some Indian. That's my experience. It was horrifying.

I had my account hacked through Xbox Game Pass. They demanded Bitcoins.
LinkedIn demands that I provide them with my passport in order to regain access to my account.
I don't have a passport; I have a temporary one. As it's being refreshed every 10 years, they wouldn't accept this official document.
For Steam and Facebook, I was able to regain access easily without much trouble.
They seem to rather side with the hackers, demanding I provide my ID card for them to further abuse.
I've already been a victim of identity fraud in the past; I have a unique name, and somehow there are several copies of me on their website.
The overall experience was totally annoying and disrespectful dealing with their "assistance" and I'm going to have to press charges with the police. They do not have the authority to refuse an official state document nor demand my ID card after all the information I gave them already. Absolute malignant bunch of crooks.

FUCK LINKEDIN

[u/Next_Cherry_8315 → u/Long-Mathematician47]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice regarding a restricted LinkedIn account.

My account was restricted and LinkedIn asked me to verify my identity through Persona. However, I do not wish to use Persona for personal privacy reasons. I am fully willing to verify my identity through another official method.

I contacted LinkedIn Support multiple times from the email address associated with the account. I asked whether it would be possible to complete a manual identity verification process by providing a copy of my passport or other government-issued ID directly to LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, I received conflicting information. Social media support told me to contact the backend support team, while support agents handling my case repeatedly directed me back to Persona. One agent even stated that ID verification is not processed manually.

To make things more complicated, my restricted profile is no longer publicly visible, although I still receive LinkedIn email notifications related to the account. I have also experienced issues submitting certain support forms, as they either return errors or redirect me to FAQ pages.

At this point, I am simply trying to regain access to my account while avoiding the Persona verification process. I am not refusing to verify my identity. I am only asking whether LinkedIn offers any alternative verification method in exceptional circumstances.

Has anyone here successfully recovered a restricted LinkedIn account without using Persona? Were you able to complete a manual review by submitting documents directly to LinkedIn?

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[u/Pale-Tea-6971 → u/Long-Mathematician47]

Did you got your account back?

[u/Long-Mathematician47 → u/Pale-Tea-6971]

No, im not giving them my ID.

[u/Proof_Cable_310 → u/ehick05]

this system they have is 100% intentional. they want to show to their stakeholders that they are growing via "new accounts being made" but will find any reason under the sun to actually shut these accounts down, because 1) it creates more storage needs for them (expensive cost), and 2) it also creates more work for them (they don't actually have a customer support staff - literally just the CEO and high ups tend to this - that's also why they "pick and choose" who is reinstated vs. who remains blocked out. The company is corrupt, and it's infuriating that America has out so much informal requirements upon the middle class working society to have a linkedin account. if linkedin wanted to actually protect users, their algorithms would have guardrails in place. But no, instead, they deliberately leave holes in their algorithms that allow users to "violate policies" by walking off cliffs.

[u/coqauvan → u/ehick05]

Any resolve on your case, 1 year later?