Why you shouldn’t trust Google+ Verified Accounts

Google may have started to roll out verification badges for celebrities and public figures who have Google+ accounts. But, unfortunately, it’s not going to close the door to fraud on the fledgling social network.

The idea is to make it easier for members of the public to tell if they’re the person you’ve added to a Google+ circle is the real Dolly Parton, the real Britney Spears or the real Alyssa Milano.

According to a Google+ post by Googler Wen-Ai Yu about the initiative, verified…

Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is a veteran of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.