Sandra Bullock has warned fans that scammers are using its resemblance to a social media scam (photos from … [+]
Academy’s Academy Award actress has warned fans this week that she does not keep social media presence, and those who believe they may have formed an internet connection were almost certainly targeted by fraudsters or criminals online .
“The security of my family, as well as the innocent people who are benefiting, is my deep concern, and there will be a time when I will comment more, but for now our concentration is helping law enforce , “60- The one-year-old actress said in a statement to People magazine
She added, “Please be careful that I do not participate in any form of social media. Anydo’s account claiming to be me or someone related to me are fake accounts.”
Her announcement comes just weeks after actor Brad Pitt issued a similar warning to his fans that criminals online had used his resemblance in a trick of trust on social media. A French woman apparently lost $ 850,000, and even separated from her husband, believing she was sending the actors money for kidney treatment.
Most users may believe they will not fall for such fraud, but new technology can make it difficult to show the fact from fiction, while many of the guards on social media have been removed in recent years.
Disaster cocktail: Increasing it and paid verifications
Frauds involving celebrities or other seemingly famous people are not really new. In fact, the fraud that includes the similarity of Brad Pitt is merely a modern receipt of the “Spanish prisoner” belief deceit that was “designed” in the early 19th century. In it, the perpetrator tries to convince the victim that they are in correspondence with a wealthy person seeking money. In the earliest forms, the story told about an individual held for a reward in Spain – the name of the cone.
With the rise of emails in the 1990s, it was involved in the fraud of the preliminary fee, especially the version of the Nigerian Prince, where a large amount of money was promised to the victim-but only after a fee was paid to bribe a custom official or pay for some necessary documents.
The newest versions of fraud are driven by two seemingly unrelated developments. The first is the increase in artificially created images and videos that reduce the effort that goes to deceit; The second is the removal of verifications on social media.
Set up the paid verifications
While social media platforms allow individuals to simply pay to “verify”, it makes it easier for fraudsters to claim to be a celebrity, or run the account of a brand or a large company.
“Paid Verification or ‘Blue Blue Notes’ next to user names on social media platforms such as X and Instagram are often imitated by impersonators,” explained Melissa O’Leary, leading strategy officer in online security provider Fortalice Solutions and Former advisor to the director of the Director of the White House administration director.
“These impersonators deceive vulnerable communities with the use of” blue notes “verification images and legitimate trees in imposition profiles to deceive their victims,” O’Leary said. “Schemes are psychological surgeries for their benefit – victims are manipulated in lowering their guard and, as a result, will shake suspicions of the legitimacy of the impersonator.”
This has resulted in a relocation from originality to access, Angeli Gianchandani, practicing in marketing residence and MBA program at New York University, warned.
Social media verification once required an individual to prove who they were and that they deserved such recognition. As Giancandan noted, it was intended to confirm credibility to help other users identify reliable brands, public figures and experts. It has mainly been replaced by a system based on reconciliation.
“Moving to a” paid verification model “has dramatically changed that landscape,” Gianchandani noted. “Today, anyone can buy a symbol of verification, blurring lines between legitimate figures and impersonators. Instead of serving as protection, verification has now become a payment feature to play-removing layers of authenticity that once protected consumers and businesses alike alike ”
More difficult to verify individuals
Removing the old verification system must have eroded public confidence, but the issue is a little more complicated. Many users embraced it, essentially buying a digital form of “street credit” to assess their presence.
“Previously, platforms like Twitter – Now X – Instagram, and Facebook verified the announcement -based accounts, the importance of industry and identity verification. Blue Checkmark signaled reliability. Now, it simply means someone who paid a reconciliation,” Giancandan. “The platforms may have thought of it as a driver of income, but it has resulted in unintentional consequences.”
This has included brands such as celebrities as Bullock and Pitt. The irony is that Twitter introduced its verification systems after former baseball professional player and manager Tony La Russa sued the platform for allowing unauthorized accounts directed by impersonators – while the current verification system may be helping impersonators.
Guardrails Gone – and he has entered the picture
Now that what was an effective guard has been removed, criminals are benefiting. At the same time, images created by him can even deceive those who may think they are technology.
“We have to wait for imposition frauds to continue and accelerate – billions of dollars are available to fraudsters, giving them the motive to evolve. As they fit to attack in various ways, social media platforms must follow the lawsuit to protect their users, ”said O” Leary.
Paid verification has made it easier for bad actors to disguise as businesses, influencing and famous. In addition, individuals often trust what they see on social media. At the same time, the content created by it is increasingly convincing.
“Frauds are becoming more sophisticated,” said Gianchandani, who pointed to the false account Eli Lilly that influenced the company’s stock price.
“In 2022, an impersonator bought a symbol verified on Twitter and fakely tweed that insulin was now free,” Gianchandani continued. “Tweet went viral, and Eli Lilly’s shares sat down, wiping billions in market value before fraud was corrected.”
Since then they have been “verified” the imposing account created for brands including Gucci and Louis Vuitton that cheated clients as well. Unfortunately, platforms have done mostly to address the issue, so users need to be more vigilant.
“There is a naked minimum required for individuals and influencers to protect their identity and brand – protecting their accounts from obtaining through strong passwords and multifactors, as well as registering usernames and brand names under a trademark and other available intellectual property protection, “O’Leary.
However, even with these defenses, impersonation will continue.
“The automated instructions and meetings of imposition accounts are highly based on intellectual property and trademarks,” O’Leary said. “Individuals and influencers should not use a full legal team to seek their identity and remove harsh impression from social media platforms.”