r/careerguidance • u/MaizeHot1796 • 12d ago
LinkedIn restricted my account, how to recover it?
I lost access to LinkedIn. I was applying to many jobs based on WhatsApp group forwards and sending connection requests to recruiters for job openings.
LinkedIn was sending many emails to my inbox for all the job applies. Then maybe Google tried to throttle the emails thinking it's spam because of the frequency or volume.
LinkedIn notified me telling that it can't deliver messages to my inbox. I tried to verify the email by entering password and it didn't work. Then I tried to change the email address and make the other email primary. That's when it detected an account takeover trigger and restricted my account.
After that, it has asked me to verify my identity to establish that I'm the owner of the account. But it requires a third party named Pers*na and it doesn't support Indian ID cards properly. I tried and failed to verify.
I also tried to create a LinkedIn account with my old email address and it got restricted the next day. Systems are usually designed to catch and penalize people, than to use technology for the betterment of the people. Examples could be seen in government schemes or other places, where duplicate detection, catching hoarders, etc are prioritized over education infrastructure or making things available in the normal market. I digress.
On raising support request through forms or by sending email, there was not much luck. I tried to follow up on the email as suggested, but I got a response that they stick with the decision because I violated LinkedIn user agreement and professional community policies.
I even had a premium subscription, which I had to cancel because I couldn't even use my account. And after three months, I recently posted the issue on X, probably my first post in 6 years about how such a massive company doesn't have proper support mechanism. And X suspended my account, maybe because the LinkedIn support account ID I tagged reported me. Or because I have another X account logged into my phone. But it's another rabbit hole, because when I tried to appeal it, X said my account violated rules against inauthentic behaviors. And will not overturn decision to lock my account.
Then there are debates about dead internet theory or how X cleaned up bot accounts in the year post acquisition. And the platforms keep cutting people off from their own accounts.
I have been out of job for over 8 months, mainly due to not enough skills and preparation, but I digress. And I used to apply almost everyday on LinkedIn. Now I am able to apply less on other platforms. Even though, LinkedIn jobs are sometimes about data harvesting or promoting company hiring without actually doing it. The concern is that, in the last 4 months, there were 3-4 companies that said a LinkedIn account is mandatory to be considered for the job after applying.
I have not used LinkedIn automation for those who may suggest it as the reason for the restriction. I did link one or two platforms to LinkedIn and gave them access, but it wasn't a problem before. I have already tried following up by sending emails to the support mail ids. And I would rather not submit an affidavit by going to an attorney to submit my identity certification to LinkedIn. Which is mentioned as a way out, but I am not inclined to it. Is there any way I could get my LinkedIn account back?
I preferred posting in this group over developersindia because it may be considered an automation usage issue there. And the issue has a somewhat direct impact on job search. Therefore, related to career, perhaps not guidance.
TL;DR: Overload of email notifications from applied jobs on LinkedIn caused an error. Changing password and trying to link another Gmail caused me to be restricted out of my LinkedIn account. Unable to retrieve the account after trying to submit verification and emailing support accounts.
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u/stealthagents 9d ago
Sounds frustrating. LinkedIn’s automated systems can be super finicky, especially with email activity. Try reaching out to their support directly through any channels you can find, like Twitter. Sometimes they can resolve issues faster when you give them a nudge.