Organizations could obtain the coveted gold check mark through a monthly subscription.
The report reveals that hackers are capitalizing on this feature by selling compromised accounts, complete with the gold verification badge, on dark web marketplaces and forums.
CloudSEK, in its findings, notes a consistent pattern of advertisements promoting the sale of accounts with gold verification badges.
These advertisements were not limited to dark web platforms but were also observed on popular communication channels such as Telegram.
The exploitation of the gold verification badge poses a significant risk, as cybercriminals leverage these compromised accounts for phishing and scams, potentially deceiving unsuspecting users.
This underscores the ongoing challenges in maintaining the security and integrity of online verification systems in the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
People were selling X Gold accounts, and the price depended on how popular the account was.
CloudSek's report said that some ads named the companies for sale, and the cost ranged from $1200 to $2000.
This shows that hackers think they can make real money by selling accounts with the gold badge, based on how well-known and followed they are.
It's a clear way cybercriminals make cash by selling compromised accounts on the dark web, showing why they do it.
On the Dark web, a source from CloudSek managed to obtain a quote for 15 inactive X accounts, priced at $35 per account.
The seller went a step further, offering a recurring deal of 15 accounts every week, accumulating a total of 720 accounts annually.
This information underscores the thriving market for inactive accounts and the potential volume of compromised assets available for illicit transactions.
This Cyber News was published on www.cysecurity.news. Publication date: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:43:05 +0000