Quite a few verified users on Twitter have tweeted about a phishing scam going around the social media platform lately. The scam tries to entice the user into clicking a suspicious link after saying that their blue badge might be “permanently deleted”.
Twitter Gaming’s Head of Content Partnerships, Zach Mazzotta, tweeted a screencap of an example phishing scam message of “stolen verified accounts claiming that they are Twitter Support”. The message starts with a convincing “Case ID number”, followed by a message that starts with how your account “has been reviewed as being inauthentic” by Twitter.
“As a reminder: Support would never reach out to anyone like this in such a manner. Stay safe and be sure to use 2FA too,” tweeted Mazzotta.
Another verified user reported they received a Twitter DM from a verified account claiming they are with Twitter. They also asked to share passwords.
“…if you get one of these, share an image and spread the word that it’s fake so others don’t fall for it. I almost fell for it because it’s someone I follow. I should thank the CIO at my old agency for his annual security training,” tweeted the user.
Even if you aren’t a verified user, you should never click through on links from DMs that claim they are Twitter Support. Mazzotta says that Support would not reach accounts this way. But these scams are getting more clever, using hacked verified accounts to strengthen the scam.
Phishing scams have also been seen on Instagram, with messages that entice users saying that they’re “entering a contest and need you to vote”, or “they need their account verified and need you to click a link to help them”. In many instances, they use an account you follow, which they’ve already hacked.
It can be difficult to tell the difference sometimes, but if you pay attention, there’s usually an obvious difference in the writing style. Also, you may notice that you’re no longer a follower of the person and the account is private. In any case, if you’re unsure—do not click on any suspicious links.
Phishing scams are also pretty common. Actor Seth Green was a victim of a NFT-related phishing scam, resulting in not being able to release his NFT TV show. It was also reported last year that Malaysians have lost RM2.23 billion to scams in the last 5 years.
[ SOURCE, IMAGE SOURCE ]
