X (formerly Twitter) users are in danger of phishing as crypto scammers are hijacking X links to impersonate high-profile accounts.
Crypto scammers have been reported of abusing this link feature to promote scams, fake giveaways, and Telegram channels to unsuspecting users, BleepingComputer reported.
How Does the Exploit Works
This is made possible as the site only recognizes the status ID to redirect users to other accounts.
Scammers are abusing this feature by changing the account name on their link to a high-profile account and pretending they are the official account. This exploit was first noted in 2019.
The links are then disseminated around social media via bots replying to messages.
Clicking on the link will lead to impersonator accounts promoting a website for crypto giveaways.
Many of the website links contain wallet drainers automatically stealing crypto and NFT assets from the unaware user who accessed the link.
Binance, Ethereum, and zkSync are often the victims of impersonations. Several Community Posts have already disputed many pretender accounts but more keeps popping up.
Security experts have long raised concerns that the redirect method can be used for more nefarious crimes like phishing, ransomware attacks, and other serious cyberattacks.
X has yet to respond to this exploit.
How to Spot Crypto Scammer Link
It is quite easy to spot fake account links from crypto scammers.
Many bot accounts boosting the links follow a particular pattern in their username handles.
Almost all of the usernames of these scam accounts have the format of name + five digits, like @GinaHyatt27783.
Most of these accounts appear mostly on posts and replies that have "NFT," "Crypto," or any of the big crypto markets spelled out.
The crypto account many of these links redirect also has noticeably fewer followers and promotes a dubious amount of giveaway promos.
It is advised to immediately block and report these accounts when encountered to reduce the risk of falling for these scams.
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