LinkedIn just keeps getting creepier and creepier; replete with its inauspicious appetite to dine off all our contacts. MyBizCard.co is a virtual business card, claiming to be the only one in the world that contains peer-reviewed ratings. The domain was registered in April, 2013 (6 months old) and is conveniently masked behind Moniker Privacy Services. The only information you will find on LinkedIn about MyBizCard.co is the profile of a customer representative that goes by the name of John Denver. According to John’s LinkedIn profile he has been employed with MyBizCard.co since April 2010.
The Unknown Creeper
MyBizCard.co uses the LinkedIn API service for login and authentication to validate user accounts. We know very little about MyBizCard.co aside from a slew of negative Google search queries:
- Please help me stop this spam! – LinkedIn Help Center
- MyBizCard woes – anyone else had the same experience …
- Consumer Alert: Avoid MyBizCard – RETechnology
- Dangerous Application Alert — https://mybizcard.co | sfprn
- MyBizCard- Think before you Click
- Is mybizcard.co legit and trustworthy – Scamadviser.com
We also know nothing about John Denver; though we do know that he is not an American singer, activist, actor, humanitarian, or songwriter. There is very little information on the web about John aside from a skeleton profile at LinkedIn (listed as a client rep); a reference on ZoomInfo (listed as a support manager), and a one-page survey titled: Help evaluate John’s professional impact. SurveyReport.com does leave one little tidbit of information though; MyBizCard.co may be located in San Francisco, CA. Ironically, SurveyReport.com was in the same type of spam limelight last year that MyBizCard.co is in this year. Both are hosted on Amazon and both have been accused of spamming LinkedIn contacts.
The Invite exposes email addresses
Though the invite appears innocuous enough; I’ve never personally worked with Daniel. It would be unethical of me to provide a rating for a contact that I have never worked with in a professional capacity. I’ve never even communicated with Daniel, aside from a few grunts in a group that we both happened to join at LinkedIn. Perhaps Daniel is unaware that the invite contained a blanket list of ten other contacts; each listed alphabetically by first name that also included the entire email address of each contact in the header.
Hi,
Sorry for the mass message. Can you please take a moment and leave me a quick professional rating here:
https://mybizcard.co/user/rate/568116/x/Thanks,
Daniel
Quantity over quality, along with a blanket greeting is rude (at least in my book). At minimum, it brings out the brat in me and entices me to give that guy a one-star rating. Not that I would ever sign up for a service that is anonymous and pointedly one that spews spam.
When you share MyBizCard
If you use our web site to share your business card, such as attaching it to your email signature, or any other content, we collect your e-mail address, your name, your 3rd-Party profile information and your list of contacts. Your card or content will typically be delivered via the messaging functionality available to us by the 3rd-Party Login service that you have used (such as Facebook, Linkedin, Google etc). This information is necessary to send the content and provide confirmation that it has been received. We may also use your e-mail address to contact you if you have chosen to receive communications from MyBizCard or its Partners. Information on your recipient list is not stored on our servers, and will be fetched again each time you send a greeting or content to your list. —MyBizCard.co Privacy
LinkedIn Takes No Responsibility
Though there was screaming and gnashing of teeth over MyBizCard at the LinkedIn Help Center from April-July of this year, there appears to be no response from LinkedIn regarding the spam issue. In order to unsubscribe from these type of requests, you have to allow access to MyBizCard via LinkedIn. I am not willing to give MyBizCard access to anything because I do not know who I am giving access to and I do not know what information MyBizCard will receive if I give them access.
If you bought the $99 lifetime Pro version of this app, there is no refund. You can cancel your account from the account settings page in the control panel at MYBizCom.co. LinkedIn provides no productive method to block MyBizCard messages from the LinkedIn inhouse inbox.
De-authorize the MyBizCard.co App
Be kind to your contacts and don’t fall for this spam app. You can easily remove this app from your settings:
- Hover over your profile picture and select review from Privacy & Settings
- Select Groups, Companies, & Applications > View your applications
- Check MyBizCard and click on Remove
MyBizCard.co Does Not Build Credibility
Be thoughtful of your connections and if you are looking to build or maintain credibility, do not use MyBizCard.co. Every time I receive a blanket message from a connection that has bought into the MyBizCard concept, I want to shake my connection. Seriously. I do understand that many people get duped into this type of spam ring by attempting to help someone out. Providing a rating sounds innocent enough — but it is the aftermath that breaks up any concept of credibility. Many people like privacy and most people do not appreciate spam. Think before you connect or sign up for any service on social media.
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