Elon Musk's X to deploy scam kill switch by auto-locking first-time crypto mentioners

X is implementing a new security measure to combat the proliferation of crypto-related phishing scams on its platform. The company will automatically lock any account that mentions cryptocurrency for the first time, requiring additional verification before the user can post again. According to X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, this feature is designed to eliminate the incentive for attackers who hijack accounts to promote fraudulent crypto tokens. This change follows a user report detailing a successful phishing attack that resulted in account takeover and the promotion of scam projects. Crypto scams, including “double your money” schemes and fake memecoin promotions, have been prevalent on the platform, often leveraging impersonation and irreversible cryptocurrency transactions. X has previously implemented security measures like bot purges and API restrictions, but this new approach aims to address the issue at its source by rendering hijacked accounts ineffective for scams. Bier also criticized Google for not adequately preventing phishing emails.

(Source：CoinDesk)