Increasing Security Risks Posed by Fake Subscribers

Identifying and Addressing Problematic Subscriber Emails for Safeguarding Account Security and Content

Receiving a subscription to my content always brings me immense pleasure. I value and adore my subscribers, supporting them beyond our online interactions. I acknowledge that some prefer to maintain privacy by refraining from leaving public comments and respecting their concerns when explicitly expressed.

From my experience, subscribers can produce 50 times better results than followers for writers. I explained the reasons in a previous story.

However, I have recently encountered messages from new subscribers that have raised red flags. These messages triggered immediate concern, and intuitively, I sensed something suspicious in these requests.

Having encountered scams in 2022 and witnessing many in my circles, I have become extra cautious about sharing personal information with people contacting me via email.

Medium offers an excellent subscription service empowering writers and readers, including a feature enabling subscribers to comment offline. Most of my subscribers have been fantastic. Over the past two years, I have built strong relationships with them.

However, I have observed some recent subscribers exhibiting suspicious behavior. They ask unrelated questions, make dubious comments, and attempt to obtain my email, potentially for information theft.

When attempting to verify the names of these people, I couldn’t locate any account linked to those names. They might be using a different name in their email or have subscribed to Medium through Google or Facebook.

Here are some concerning messages that raised red flags:

“We’re interested in purchasing this article. Could you please share your contact details for further discussion?”

“We absolutely loved your story. You can publish it on our site. We have some great perks for writers. Click on this link and follow the instructions. You won’t regret.”

“I enjoyed your story. Could you respond to these questions urgently? I am in a desperate situation here.”

“Please provide more information about your background. Can you send your CV ASAP via this email?”

“I have xyz disease. Please help me cover hospital costs.”

“Where were you born, and where do you live?”

“Are you married? How many children do you have?”

“Where do you work?”

“How much money do you earn?”

“Do you invest in the stock market or cryptocurrencies?”

“What credentials do you have to write this article?”

“Have you worked in XYZ company before?”

“Great story! Contact me via phone, WhatsApp, or Telegram. I have a deal for you.”

As the number of my subscribers, I had many more. I noticed similar experiences echoed by other writer friends. While not all of these comments pose cybersecurity risks, most made me uneasy.

I truly enjoy answering questions and building relationships with genuine subscribers. However, coming from a tech background with security awareness, these intrusive messages, possibly from fake subscribers, made me uncomfortable and prompted caution due to their nature, prompting me to be more vigilant about potential risks.

Medium is an open platform. Anyone can create an account using social media tools and publish anything. They can also follow members and subscribe to their content. It is impossible for the platform and members to control subscribers.

While I am a staunch advocate for diversity, inclusion, and privacy across social platforms, it is disheartening that a small subset distorts these values. Some people misuse these principles, adopting false personas or feigning friendliness to exploit others’ trust.

While most subscribers foster positive relationships, a few may abuse this trust, potentially harming writers. Hence, I aim to raise awareness, particularly among new writers eager to interact with subscribers, as they might inadvertently fall victim to scams.

Fake subscribers can undermine a writer’s authenticity and credibility and potentially expose them to unnecessary risks, emphasizing the importance of being cautious and vigilant about subscriber interactions.

Here are three risks I can think of associated with fake subscribers.

1 — Fake subscribers might aim to collect personal information or data from writers, posing potential privacy breaches or identity theft risks.

2 — They might attempt to lure writers into scams or fraudulent schemes by requesting personal details, money, or sensitive information under pretenses.

3 — Interacting with fake subscribers diverts time and energy that could be spent on genuine readers or productive activities, leading to a waste of resources and efforts.

Fake accounts on writing platforms can cause these types of issues. For example, recently, a fake account sent multiple misleading messages to readers who left comments on my stories asking them to contact a fake Telegram or Whatsapp account.

I reported these messages timely, and the accounts were removed, but these incidents caused me unnecessary stress. I documented my recent experience with some takeaway points.

Takeaways for Social Engineering and Phishing Risks

Social engineering and phishing represent manipulative tactics malicious actors use to deceive people into revealing sensitive information or performing actions compromising their security.

Social engineering leverages psychological manipulation to exploit human behavior, often involving impersonation or persuasive techniques to extract passwords, personally identifiable data, or financial details.

These attacks take various forms, from impersonating trusted entities to creating a sense of urgency or using familiarity to gain trust. They exploit human emotions through multiple channels like emails, phone calls, social media messages, or in-person interactions, preying on fear, curiosity, or a desire to help.

Phishing, a digital form of social engineering, uses deceptive emails or messages masquerading as legitimate sources to trick recipients into clicking malicious links, opening infected attachments, or providing confidential information.

The objective of social engineering and phishing is to steal data, gain unauthorized access, or distribute malware, posing severe risks to individuals and organizations.

To counter these threats, vigilance, security training, and the use of cybersecurity tools are essential in identifying and thwarting social engineering and phishing attempts, helping mitigate potential risks.

Maintaining vigilance against social engineering and phishing attempts is crucial in minimizing potential risks and safeguarding against cyber threats.

Update on December 2023

Unfortunately these scam accounts impersonated me once more at a massive scale and scammed some of my loyal readers who believed them. I wrote a new story alerting senior leaders on Medium to take urgent action to safeguard the community. Thank you for your feedback on this story. Please share the friend link with readers and writers in your circles. Unfortunately, not many readers got a chance to see this important story.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, and humor.

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