Kingston Police warn of potential ‘Twitter Blue’ scams

With recent changes to the Twitter platform, Kingston Police have released a statement warning social media users of potential scams arising from the use of the blue verification checkmark system known as “Twitter Blue.”

“Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently purchased the social media platform Twitter. Since this purchase, Twitter started allowing users to pay for a monthly subscription called ‘Twitter Blue,'” Kingston Police said in the statement. “Twitter Blue displays a blue verification checkmark next to the subscriber’s username. Previously, Twitter only gave this checkmark to accounts that belonged to legitimate public figures, brands, or governments.”

According to police, cybercriminals are taking advantage of this new subscription to make fake accounts appear more legitimate. Kingston Police said that cybercriminals are creating accounts to impersonate public figures or brands so they can spread disinformation or pretend to be customer support.

“Be cautious of Twitter Blue subscribers that ask you to perform an action or provide sensitive information,” police warned. “These accounts could be cybercriminals that are trying to manipulate and scam you.”

Kingston Police provided the following tips to help you stay safe from Twitter Blue scams:

• Never trust that an account is legitimate because it has a verification checkmark. Anyone can subscribe to Twitter Blue.
• Verify news and information by checking official websites, press releases, and other trusted sources.
• Never provide sensitive information through Twitter. If an account asks you to provide information, contact the individual or organization directly by using their official email or phone number