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The Bridge: The internet can be a scary place, with danger lurking around every corner. Stranger danger, illegal substances, and the occasional grim viral video are typical internet fare, but there’s a new hot commodity that’s targeting noteworthy individuals on social media.
Like something straight out of a Body Snatchers reboot, identity theft is trending this Halloween. Verified Twitter accounts have become the recent target of internet scammers looking to finesse their way into your crypto wallets. Keep scrolling to learn all about it!
Blue Checks, Black Markets
Internet freedoms often extend to unsavory outlets and marketplaces. This is nothing new. Whether it’s revenge porn databases that had a grip on Millennials in the mid-to-late 2000’s, or the (surprisingly safe) Silk Road drug exchanges that fueled that dark web throughout the 2010’s, illicit activity is going to happen online.
Our WTF moment is as random as it is complex. The newest hot commodity being illegally traded is…verified social media accounts.
Who would’ve thought?
Internet fraudsters have taken to hacking verified Twitter accounts en masse. Why? So that their clientele, mainly scammers, can use the accounts to fraudulently sell NFT’s and other valuable digital assets in exchange for untraceable cryptocurrency.
We’re way past the wild wild west.
Value in Verification
Being verified on a social media platform comes with a host of benefits. Not only does the blue badge represent that you’re a cut above the rest, it also indicates that you’re trusted by the platform itself. Like a swanky hall-monitor pass, or perfect attendance award.
If it’s not obvious, scammers need verified accounts because most internet users are too savvy to fall for a scam from a random account. By hacking into the verified account of a trusted journalist, artist, or NFT expert, no one will question when they launch a new project requiring funding. By the time they do catch on, the crooks will have long since abandoned the account.
We’re pretty sure our unverified accounts will be just fine, but if you start seeing requests for Bitcoin from The Gen Bridge – it’s definitely not us!
