The Rise of Verified Fan Pages on Social Media
At the end of February 2023, news surrounding Japanese adult film actress Eimi Fukada’s visit to Vietnam attracted considerable attention on social media. Simultaneously, a verified fan page for Eimi Fukada appeared, featuring posts in Vietnamese. These posts garnered significant interest, with the fan page attracting over 500,000 followers. Most comments were from users in Vietnam.
Not only Eimi Fukada, but many other 18+ film personalities also have verified fan pages, frequently creating engaging content for Vietnamese users. The presence of these verified fan pages leads users to believe that they are the official pages of these actresses.
Despite being named after the 18+ Japanese actress, the page’s administrator is currently located in Vietnam.
The situation with the fan page named after the adult film actress Yua Mikami.
These fan pages are also heavily promoting ads to reach Vietnamese Facebook users.
However, these fan pages exhibit many signs of being fraudulent.
The blue verification tick is a signal of “Verification Badge” on Facebook. This badge serves as a way to confirm that a profile or fan page is genuine to avoid impersonation. This verification is usually granted to public figures, celebrities, or businesses.
In addition to the verification benefits, verified fan pages also have many unique features, such as the ability to run ads for live streams – a feature many online business owners desire. However, this verification may not protect the account holder from the risk of being hacked.
According to reports, upon checking the transparency of the page, Facebook revealed that this page was established in 2013, originally belonging to an unrelated individual. The initial name of the page was “Professor Dr. Abm Abdullah,” who is a doctor and researcher from Bangladesh specializing in healthcare.
Until January 5, the page was renamed to “えいみ ふかだ – Eimi Fukada.” At the same time, the page’s administrator was confirmed to be located in Vietnam. The actress in question is of Japanese nationality.
Mr. Vinh Nguyen, who has years of experience in Facebook services, believes that the fan pages “えいみ ふかだ – Eimi Fukada” and Yua Mikami are marked with a verification badge but may engage in fraudulent activities to attract interactions.
According to Mr. Vinh, this page has undergone several transformations to obtain the blue verification tick. Subsequently, it was hijacked and renamed to that of an 18+ actress to attract interactions.
Many Verified Fan Pages Engaging in Fraudulent Activities
In 2020, many verified fan pages of celebrities, such as singer Naresh Iyer, artist Nick Jojo, and Morgan Mimosa, were reportedly being sold in Vietnam for prices ranging from 20 to 60 million VND, depending on various factors such as the number of likes and interactions, the “warranty” period, and the seller’s credibility.
Many verified Facebook accounts belonging to foreign celebrities are now being hijacked and used for Vietnamese content.
These fan pages are being used to host live streams for selling products online, including clothing, cosmetics, fashion accessories, etc. With the establishment of these pages aimed at engaging with Vietnamese Facebook users, it helps increase interactions with potential customers in Vietnam while also potentially allowing access to users from abroad, preventing the page from being reported for possible infringement.
However, page owners cannot guarantee the blue verification tick remains with them, which makes buying these fan pages quite risky, as they are often engaged in fraudulent activities.
According to cybersecurity experts, to prevent being hacked on Facebook, users should avoid sharing personal information such as mobile numbers, email addresses, or any sensitive information online.
Hackers can exploit password recovery policies by tricking users into providing personal information, bypassing Facebook’s security measures. Moreover, users should enable two-factor authentication, use strong passwords, and refrain from clicking on suspicious links or using dubious applications.
