Following Elon Musk’s announcement that Twitter would change its verification process, there has been outrage on social media and around the internet, with several users, including Zack Whittaker of TechCrunch, reporting phishing emails intended to steal personal information.
According to TechCrunch, malicious phishing emails intended to steal passwords are being sent to unsuspecting individuals, especially those with verified accounts. The emails look like they are from Twitter Support, and they link to an attacker’s website that is also masquerading as Twitter’s support page.
“Don’t lose your verified status.” said the email that the TechCrunch newsroom received, with “Twitter Warning” as the subject. Whittaker pointed out that the emails were sent from a Gmail email address, and lead to a Google Document, followed by a Google site.
Twitter’s ongoing verification chaos is now a cybersecurity problem. It looks like some people (including in our newsroom) are getting crude phishing emails trying to trick people into turning over their Twitter credentials. pic.twitter.com/Nig4nhoXWF
— Zack Whittaker (@zackwhittaker) October 31, 2022
Attackers are seemingly taking advantage of the uncertainty that’s in the air regarding the new Twitter Blue verification process.
Multiple verified accounts are reporting security threats
Verified twitter account, @MelissaJPeltier said, “I fell for a phishing scam in my DMs a week before the Elon takeover. Then they used my hijacked blue check to lure other blue checks to the scam. Don’t think that timing is totally coincidental.”
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A Twitter user who goes by the username @Viss, also reported the same. “I got added to a list by some account claiming to be some kind of verifier enforcement. it tried to get me to go to some website and fill out a form to keep verified status,” he claimed.
Fortunately, Google has seemingly taken down webpages that were used for phishing. “Confirming we have taken down the links and accounts in question for violations of our program policies,” a Google spokesperson said.
This problem is a result of ambiguous new verification norms
Although the project may still be shelved because Elon Musk is yet to make a final decision, Platformer predicts that verification will most likely be included in Twitter Blue. “Whole verification process is being revamped right now”, Musk said in his tweet.
It would be in everyone’s best interest if Twitter could clear the situation at hand to relieve paranoia and disapproval.
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