The Problem With Verification
Travis Hawley was scrolling through the comments sections of LeBron James’s Instagram posts recently when he noticed some postings from other athletes.
“Dm me to buy verification badge,” wrote Dmitry Orlov, a player for the Washington Capitals. “Dm me to buy verification badge! Paypal, Zelle, Cashapp,” Malcolm Grant, an American professional basketball player in Lithuania, commented repeatedly.
Other athletes joined in. The Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, the Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jonathan India, the San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Bobo Wilson all claimed in the comments sections of major sports stars and celebrities that they could sell blue check marks to anyone, for the right price. Their accounts had, of course, been hacked; all have since been restored.
But while their comments were live, some people took the bait, asking what they’d need
