Pharmaceutical Spammers Targeting LinkedIn

Following January's malware campaign relying on bogus LinkedIn profiles, this time it's pharmaceutical spammers' turn to target the business-oriented social networking site.

From a spammers/blackhat SEO-er's perspective, this is done for the purpose of increasing the page rank of their pharmaceutical domains based on the number of links coming from LinkedIn. The campaigns are monetized through the usual affiliate based pharmaceutical networks.

The following is a complete list of the currently active bogus domains, all part of identical campaigns:
linkedin .com/in/buyviagra45
linkedin .com/in/phenterminetrueway
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyProzac
linkedin .com/in/CheapBuyGabapentin
linkedin .com/in/BuyCheapTramadol
linkedin .com/in/cheaptramadol
linkedin .com/in/buybactrimonline
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAugmentin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMetformin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyBiaxin
linkedin .com/in/CheapBuyNorvasc
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyCelebrex
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLipitor
linkedin .com/in/BuyCheapOxycontin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyHydrocodone
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyPercocet
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyFioricet
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyKlonopin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyDiazepam
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyXanax
linkedin .com/in/CheapBuyOxycodone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyClonazepam
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyEffexor
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAmbien
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAtivan
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyVicodin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyNexium
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyCipro
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLorazepam
linkedin .com/in/propecia
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAllegra
linkedin .com/in/CheapBuyMeridia
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyZithromax
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCelexa
linkedin .com/in/clomid
linkedin .com/in/clonazepam
linkedin .com/in/BuyCheapNeurontin
linkedin .com/in/cheapfioricet
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyClomid
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyIbuprofen
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyZoloft
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyToprol
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAleve
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAleve
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyVioxx
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyWellbutrin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAmoxicillin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuySuboxone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyOxycodone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLisinopril
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyPrevacid
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLevaquin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyUltram
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAlprazolam
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLamictal
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyNaproxen
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyZyprexa
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCoumadin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyValium
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLithium
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuySynthroid
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyHerceptin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAvandia

linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyTramadol
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCymbalta
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyDoxycycline
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyProtonix
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyTestosterone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyTopamax
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyBenadryl
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyBactrim
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMethadone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAtenolol
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyConcerta
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCrestor
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyTrazodone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyVytorin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMelatonin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCephalexin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyThyroid
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyChantix
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyInsulin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyGenace
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyByetta
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPropecia
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPlavix
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyYaz
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyYasmin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPotassium
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyValtrex
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyVoltaren
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPenicillin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyZyrtec
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMagnesium
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPrednisone
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuySeroquel
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuySoma
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyGabapentin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAspirin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPseudovent
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyLortab
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPaxil
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAlli
linkedin .com/in/BuyCheapXenical
linkedin .com/in/CheapBuyUltracet
linkedin .com/in/buyhydrocodone
linkedin .com/in/OrderBuyAlli
linkedin .com/in/buypaxilonline
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMobic
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyNaprosyn
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCipro
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyMorphine
linkedin .com/in/vimax
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAccutane
linkedin .com/in/vigrx
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyNorvasc
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyOxycontin
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyProvigil
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyPercocet
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyCelebrex
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyAdipex
linkedin .com/in/OnlineBuyRitalin
linkedin .com/pub/dir/purchase/viagra
linkedin .com/pub/dir/cialis/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/methocarbamol/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/acyclovir/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/klonopin/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/zyprexa/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/amitriptyline/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/buymodalertonline/buymodalertonline
linkedin .com/pub/dir/zocor/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/levitra/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/citalopram/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/arimidex/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/niacin/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/phentermine/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/provigil/online
linkedin .com/pub/dir/ritalin/online

Pharmaceutical domains used in the campaigns:
buy-pharmacy .info
viagra-pills .info
nenene .og
rxoffers .net
allrxs .org
onlinepharmacy4u .org
cheap-tramadol .us
buy-tramadol.blogdrive .com
buymodalert .com
rx-prime .com
suche-project .eu

Acquiring new users in a highly competitive Web 2.0 world is crucial, no doubt about it. But in 2009, if you're not at least requiring a valid email address, a confirmation of the registration combined with a CAPTCHA to at least slow down the bogus account registration process and ruin their efficiency model - systematic abuse of the service is inevitable (Commercial Twitter spamming tool hits the market).

LinkedIn's abuse team has already been notified of these accounts.