Cybercriminals are using fake verified X (formerly Twitter) accounts with as few as 10 to 15 followers to promote deceptive social media posts resembling news articles about renowned singer Shreya Ghoshal. These posts are designed to lure users into cyber scams.
Issuing a public warning, Dr Sandeep Mittal, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime Wing, Tamil Nadu, urged social media users to remain cautious. In a post on X, he stated, “Verified @X Handles, having 10 to 15 followers, promoting Shreya Ghoshal Ads are scam traps to lure public into cyber scams. Be alert, be safe……. @X should have mechanism to detect and block such handles openly indulging in criminal activities.”
Shreya Ghoshal’s X Account Hacked
The warning follows singer Shreya Ghoshal’s revelation that her X account had been hacked since February 13. Expressing frustration over the lack of action from X’s support team, she took to Instagram to alert her followers.
In her post, she wrote, “Hello fans and friends. My Twitter / X account is hacked since February 13th. I have tried everything in my capacity to reach out to the X team. But there has been no response beyond a few auto-generated responses. I am unable to even delete my account since I can’t log in anymore.”
She also urged fans to avoid clicking on any links shared from her compromised account, warning that they were likely phishing scams. “Please don’t click on any link or believe any message written from that account. They are all scams and phishing links. I will update personally through a video if the account is recovered and is safe.”
Shreya Ghoshal is not the only celebrity to fall victim to such cybersecurity breaches. Earlier this year, actor Swara Bhasker and comedian Tanmay Bhat also reported incidents where their X accounts were hacked and used to spread fake links.
