Topic: Be careful of BTT account impersonation On and off the forum (Read 217 times)

Normally, if someone tries to impersonate a renowned Bitcointalk account on the forum itself, these impersonating accounts will be relatively new, and have a low rank.  On a couple of occasions, I’ve come across accounts with a similar name to others, and have PMs the original account owners to alert them. They, in turn, may keep an eye out and eventually give them negative trust if the account tries to impersonate them in some way (i.e. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=trust;u=2236185).

As @o_e_l_e_o mentioned, sometimes the impersonation takes place using the original account. A couple of month ago, a user on my local board suffered a silent hack (i.e. someone has control over his account, while not changing the email nor the password). The hacker used his account to then publish a cloned Ann thread with a fake github downloadable wallet. The user was banned for a few days once reported for spreading access to fake wallets, but recovered it after a few days after going over IP connections.

This is insufficient. Bitcointalk accounts can and do get hacked. In the recent case of kenzawak, the hacker did not change the password or any of the account details so kenzawak was unaware he had been hacked, and so no one was alerted to the hack until it was too late. All the hacker did was to send "confirmatory" PMs to people they were scamming via Telegram or other channels.

Requesting a PM alone is not enough. You also need them to provide a signed message from an address (or a PGP key) they have either staked (Stake your Bitcoin address here) or used in the past. Do not accept a signed message from a recently posted address or an address in their personal text or signature, as these can easily be posted or changed by the hacker. Also be sure that the post with the historical address hasn't been edited recently by the hacker to instead include an address under their control.

Before engaging in any transaction or deal with someone on telegram on cryptocurrency related matters, it's important to make sure that person has a bitcointalk account, and you must verify if such individual is actually who they claim to be, requesting a pm is a good idea.
And if you must then go ahead with the transaction, it's safer to do so with an escrow service, not just any, but the comprehensive list of bitcointalk escrow service, you can find it in this link: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/recommended-bitcointalk-escrow-services-2439910
I think the trust system is sufficient for this, if a user you attempt to deal with has negative trust, that's a symbol that brandishes a red flag already, but if it's positive trusts, then to an extent, such user can be trusted.
As for their alts, most high ranked members openly declare their alts, as well as add links to it in their main account, to avoid impersonation.
Good post you got there,i do hope newbies adhere to it, even if i doubt they will

This topic has obvious been touched on but emphasis on it is still important and not only does the impersonation happen in the forum it happens out side this plat form

 Bitcoin talk registration is an open one( kyc is not needed and no stringent requirements) this result to sign ups coming in regularly by people of vast interest.
By now whether anyone tries to refuse it or not we have some very established users on this forum whose reputation are admirable and business oriented deals very often shows interest in such account (for good reasons I would not mention such account and any names I use for demonstration was bore out of wide guess and might not exist)
I have come across accounts(both group and personal account) on telegram with very much identical name with one from the forum and not just that it's a coincidence they do portray themselves to be the authentic person from bitcointalk. Very easily newbies can go into deals with this sort of criminal and have a sore experience.

Just as on other social media where business men/women, product or services, company's, celebrities etc are impersonated so it is with bitcoin talk account. But some social media has managed to be in control of the situation by putting mark on account don't know if such measures has been thought about on the forum like users with high trust getting a symbol or mark attached to their account or their alts( well topic for another day let's not drift away from the topic)
As a newbie you should be careful how you trade, do deals or even recommend something to other(might be unknowingly promoting scam)  and also once you notice impersonation do good by exposing it and reporting as well