If you’ve been contacted by someone you don’t know, look at their profile.
Check the Member Since field. We have good systems in place for weeding out fraudsters so it’s a good sign if someone has been a member for a long time. And watch out for very new members, people who’ve joined in the last few days. Many fraudsters use a hit-and-run approach. They sign up, send a bunch of messages, collect responses, and abandon their account.
Next, check the member’s type of membership. All Pro members undergo a fraud check when they submit their payment information, so it’s a good sign if someone is a Pro member.
Check if the member has earned an identity verification badge (a blue or yellow checkmark icon next to the member's name). Verified members have submitted a physical ID (passport, drivers license, etc), to prove they are who they say they are, so it’s a good sign when someone is a verified member.
Check the number of Connections a member has. Members with a larger number of connections — especially connections from trusted people — are more likely to be trustworthy. (However, having few or no connections does not mean a member is untrustworthy. Connect is a newer feature on DealStream and many members are still building their networks. So it's normal for many members to have no connections. And, of course, all new members will have no connections.)
And remember that none of these methods is 100% reliable. You should always exercise caution when dealing with people you don’t know.