Rumors are circulating on Twitter concerning the change in verified users. Elon Musk may charge users a monthly fee for the verified Blue Checkmark, which is said to be approximately $20 or less. However, attackers are already using the idea to trick people into clicking phishing emails.
A TechCrunch journalist received a phishing email with the subject “Don’t lose your free Verified Status,” which requested them to provide personal information in order to keep the verified blue checkmark on their account.
The email looks very convincing with the sense of urgency to easily lure users. “You need to give a short confirmation so that you are not affected by this situation,” it says. “To receive the verification badge for free and permanently, please confirm that you are a well-known person. If you don’t provide verification, you will pay $19.99 every month like other users to get the verification badge.”
Within the phishing email, there is a button labeled “Provided information,” which sends data to [email protected] rather than Twitter’s official contact service.
When the button is clicked, the users are sent to a Google Docs page, which is a classic tactic for phishing attacks. It then asks for a Twitter username, password, and phone number, which is a major red flag.
So, if you receive the email, please disregard it or make it a habit to carefully examine the email from which it originated. Also, Twitter has not yet announced the official pricing or plan for the verified blue checkmark.
