Likewise, people who are verified typically have a large following, which can make them prime targets for scammers or hackers trying to reach a lot of people. Variations of this scam have existed for years, but cybersecurity experts say they expect this scam to grow as people spend more time building their brand on social media. Scammers will also slide into direct messages on Instagram and entice users with promises of verification. That's provided ample opportunity for scammers, who manipulate the emotions of aspiring but unsuspecting users pursuing careers as influencers or creators.ĭirecting social media users to fake verification forms, as Ceylan appears to have tried, is a tactic used to dupe people out of personal information and take over their accounts. Originally intended to authenticate accounts deemed to be of public interest, the badges have morphed into status symbols that give social media users bragging rights. (TikTok confirmed the form wasn't legitimate.)Ī form appearing on Enver Ceylan's website tells TikTok users they're eligible for verification and asks for personal information.Īlmost every major platform offers verification in some form. Most of the site then went blank before reappearing entirely in Turkish. Ceylan's form vanished shortly after CNET entered information to test it. If Ceylan's promises seem too good to be true, that's because they likely are. A form under TikTok's logo, an animated musical note, asked for a user's password, address and phone number. 'Your account has been followed for 30 days, and it has been determined that you are eligible to receive the TikTok Blue Badge,' his site stated in English on June 9. One version of his website prominently displayed a form that asked TikTok users to fill out personal information to get their account verified, a status usually reserved for notable figures. Among his digital services: helping Facebook and Instagram users with advertising issues and growing their accounts. He's a Turkish social media consultant, musician and actor who's 'played the lead role in many TV series and movies,' according to his website. Enver Ceylan presents himself online as a Renaissance man.

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