Flourishing Fake Social Media Accounts Take Flight In The Midst Of The Malaysia Airline Mystery

Social Media security

The disappearance of the Malaysia Airline MH370 is still unravelling like a novel on social media at present; there are route changes, absence of radar signals, and even questions behind the motives of both pilots, but still there is no conclusion to this mystery.

Again, as in most novels, the sudden disappearance has generated a whole lot of controversy, conspiracy theories, and now it seems that people are creating fake social media accounts. Nexgate who are a social media security and compliance firm have stated that the number of accounts related to the aircraft multiplied to more than 680 from around 50 accounts. This figure includes accounts from social media networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter.

Nexgate’s analysis suggests that three types of accounts have been created in the wake of MH370 going missing. The first looks to spread malware by inserting links into tweets, posts or comments. This is usually on Twitter or Facebook, and scrolling down a personal timeline one can see at least two examples of this. The second type is more politically motivated, with the users looking to tarnish the brand of Malaysia Airlines. These accounts post material that is mainly critical and sometimes offensive about the airline. The last type tells the user that their intention is to generate donations on behalf of the victims. This is a clear attempt to get credit card information.

Source: nexgate.com

The vice president of marketing at Nexgate, David Meizlik, said “the primary objective is really around exploitation using phishing, fraud, social engineering, and malware.” He then went on to say “the ‘bad guy’ sells to build an initial audience and then waits to exploit that audience.” It is a clever but totally unethical strategy from these people, who create those accounts, but also when you see them on Twitter and Facebook, it is quite clear that they are not legitimate.

Despite the cosmetic flaws of these accounts, the “bad guys” seem to have succeeded in generating interest due to the nature of the topic. A cursory search for MH370 on Twitter reveals several accounts, some of which are genuine, but some well-known journalists have appended MH370 to their account to provide updates on the mystery.

Source: nexgate.com

Although journalists have done this, some fake accounts have generated a sizeable following on the promise of delivering up-to-date news related to the airline’s disappearance. There are examples on Twitter of this, as one account has 669 followers even though it does not provide any information on the airline. People should be aware of the fake accounts, especially with the risk of some accounts trying to gain credit card information.

Even crooks are seeing the influence of social media now, and this makes utopian feel of online networking slightly less secure, but with care all users should be fine. In this instance Nexgate recommend that people should only use verified sources or accounts to gather or read information about the disappearance. These accounts can be identified on Facebook and Twitter by the little blue tick next to the profile name. If a user can identify a fake or suspicious account then block it from interacting with your personal account.

This proves that care must be taken online, especially when personal information is on the line. Opportunists will always look for trending topics to try and make a buck, but with the relevant care and sense, these should not pose a problem at all.

Alex Smith

Alex is an English Literature and Sociology undergraduate whose love for written word has led him to write about some obscure topics in his time. Currently an intern at Social Media Frontiers, be sure to follow him @AlexSatSMF 

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