⚡ Scammers Target Public Accounts of Celebrities
posted 23 Jun 2024
Yesterday, entrepreneur Mark Cuban reported that his Google account was hacked.
Cuban mentioned that he received a phone call supposedly from a Google employee named Noah, who claimed that Cuban's account had been compromised. However, the real hack occurred after this call, as the scammers were able to forge authentication data during Cuban's attempts to recover access.
Mark warned his followers that any emails sent in his name after 3:30 PM PST on June 22 were the result of the hack. It is still unknown if the hackers caused significant damage beyond inconvenience.
Shortly before the incident with Mark Cuban, the X account of renowned rapper 50 Cent was also hacked. Scammers attempted a pump-and-dump scheme with the Solana token GUNIT.
In such cases, scammers typically aim to exploit the social capital of their victims—their names, reputations, and audiences—to push fraudulent schemes or lure people into phishing links. Sometimes, they also manage to steal assets from the victims' social media accounts or directly blackmail the account owners.
How do scammers target public accounts of celebrities?
Scammers target public accounts of celebrities by exploiting their high visibility and large follower bases. They often use phishing schemes, where they pose as legitimate services or contacts and trick celebrities into sharing sensitive information. Hackers may also employ social engineering tactics to gather personal details or compromise the accounts by guessing passwords. Once they gain control, scammers can spread false information, endorse fake products, or solicit money from fans. Ensuring robust security measures, like two-factor authentication, is essential for protecting these high-profile accounts.
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