Staying Safe from Spoofed X (Twitter) Accounts

X ( formerly Twitter ) has become a wildly popular platform for connecting with friends, brands, celebrities, politicians, and more. However, the rise in popularity has also led to an increase in fake and spoofed accounts aiming to scam users. In this guide, we’ll explain what a spoofed X account is, how to spot one, and tips to stay safe.

What is a Spoofed X Account?

A spoofed or fake impersonated X account is one that is made to look like a legitimate profile, but is not actually run by that person or company. Spoofers often use the name and photo of a celebrity, business, or other well-known figure in order to appear credible. They then leverage that borrowed credibility to scam followers out of money, steal personal information, spread false information, or harm the reputation of the impersonated person or brand.

Common Signs of a Spoofed Account:

• Username uses the name of a famous person or brand, but is slightly altered (e.g. @MikeTysen instead of @MikeTyson)

• Profile photo is of the celebrity/brand they are impersonating

• Bio claims to be the official or “real” account of the celebrity/brand

• Recent account creation date

• Low number of followers compared to the size of the brand

• Tweets do not match the voice of the real person/brand

• Tweets consist mainly of replies to other users rather than original content

• Sending suspicious links in tweets or DMs

• DMing followers out of nowhere to ask for money or personal information

With the launch of X Premium verification, we can no longer rely on the blue checkmark alone as proof of authenticity. Scammers are willing to pay for verification to appear more legitimate. Instead, look at the signs above to discern if an account is truly trustworthy.

How Spoofed Accounts Try to Scam Users:

• Impersonation - Pretending to be a celebrity, brand, or other famous figure to mislead followers and spread false information. This damages the reputation of the real person/company.

• Phishing - DMing users links to fake lookalike websites designed to steal login info and financial account details.

• Fake Investment Schemes - Promising guaranteed returns in exchange for an upfront “investment” payment via Bitcoin or gift cards.

• Brand Scams - Directing users to purchase counterfeit or non-existent products.

• Charity Scams - Requesting donations for fake charities or causes.

• Romance Scams - Building online relationships under false pretenses to eventually ask for money.

How to Spot a Spoofed Account:

1. Verify the account handle - Spoofers often register handles that are similar to the real person or brand they are impersonating with small changes like additional numbers or swapped letters. Compare their handle to the official X handle.

2. Review account creation date - Spoof accounts are often recently created. Check to see when the account first joined X.

3. Compare follower counts - Impersonation accounts tend to have fewer followers than the real celebrity or brand they are imitating.

4. Check who they follow - Spoof accounts often follow few if any other accounts. Real brands and public figures will follow relevant accounts in their industry, celebrity peers, media outlets, etc.

5. Read tweet content - Impersonators often tweet in an unnatural voice compared to the real person or business. Their tweets may also consist mainly of replies to other users rather than original content.

6. Look for verified checkmarks on other platforms - Scammers likely will not have gone through the verification process on other social media sites.

7. Search for reports of spoofing - Check scam warning sites like our own for any reported spoofing of that account.

What to Do if You Encounter a Spoofed Account:

• Do not interact with or follow the account. Ignore any messages from them.

• Report the account via X by clicking Report Tweet > It’s suspicious or spam.

• Block the account so you no longer see their activity.

• Alert friends and followers warning them of the impersonator.

• Search online for recent reports of that spoofed account to warn others.

• Contact the real person or brand being impersonated to notify them of the spoofing attack.

Staying Safe on X:

• Enable two-factor authentication on your account to prevent it from being spoofed.

• Be skeptical of any unsolicited messages asking for personal information or money. These are almost always scams.

• Verify a profile is real before clicking links or providing any info. Use the steps above.

• Avoid connecting with accounts that seem suspicious.

• Report any spoofing accounts you come across. X works hard to suspend them.

• Keep your antivirus software up-to-date to detect and block malicious links.

By staying alert for the warning signs of spoofed accounts and reporting them when found, we can keep X safer and stem the tide of impersonation scams. Avoiding engagement with these accounts cuts off their ability to deceive other users.