Cybercriminals are taking over verified accounts on X, the social media service formally known as Twitter. The verified accounts are then being sold on the Dark Web for up to $2,000 a piece. The research from CloudSEK has uncovered a surge of these accounts showing up on the Dark Web.
The Gold badge on X means the service has verified the account has legitimately belonging to a high-profile organization or person. It was introduced a year ago as a paid option after X made the blue checkmark something anyone could pay to include on their profiles. Cybercriminals are now stealing passwords and credentials through malware to gain access to existing Gold accounts. Additionally, they are taking over non-Gold accounts associated with real organizations and upgrading them to verified status. Hundreds of accounts with tens of thousands of followers are on offer in underground forums. Criminals can pay to use the accounts for a variety of nefarious reasons, including posting disinformation campaigns, financial scams, or phishing links. To protect their Gold accounts, organizations should monitor brand mentions on X and implement strong password policies.
Read More: Cybercriminals Flood Dark Web With X (Twitter) Gold Accounts
