Skip to main content
USENIX
  • Conferences
  • Students
Sign in
  • Overview
  • Symposium Organizers
  • Registration Information
  • Registration Discounts
  • At a Glance
  • Calendar
  • Technical Sessions
  • Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions
  • Poster Session
  • Sponsorship
  • Workshops
  • Activities
  • Hotel and Travel Information
  • Services
  • Students
  • Questions
  • Help Promote!
  • Flyer PDF
  • For Participants
  • Call for Papers
  • Past Symposia

sponsors

Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Industry Partner

twitter

Tweets by USENIXSecurity

usenix conference policies

  • Event Code of Conduct
  • Conference Network Policy
  • Statement on Environmental Responsibility Policy

You are here

Home » Trafficking Fraudulent Accounts: The Role of the Underground Market in Twitter Spam and Abuse
Tweet

connect with us

http://twitter.com/usenixsecurity
https://www.facebook.com/usenixassociation
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/USENIX-Association-49559/about
https://plus.google.com/108588319090208187909/posts
http://www.youtube.com/user/USENIXAssociation

Trafficking Fraudulent Accounts: The Role of the Underground Market in Twitter Spam and Abuse

Authors: 

Kurt Thomas, University of California, Berkeley, and Twitter; Damon McCoy, George Mason University; Chris Grier, University of California, Berkeley, and International Computer Science Institute; Alek Kolcz, Twitter; Vern Paxson, University of California, Berkeley, and International Computer Science Institute

Abstract: 

As web services such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo now dominate the daily activities of Internet users, cyber criminals have adapted their monetization strategies to engage users within these walled gardens. To facilitate access to these sites, an underground market has emerged where fraudulent accounts – automatically generated credentials used to perpetrate scams, phishing, and malware – are sold in bulk by the thousands. In order to understand this shadowy economy, we investigate the market for fraudulent Twitter accounts to monitor prices, availability, and fraud perpetrated by 27 merchants over the course of a 10-month period. We use our insights to develop a classifier to retroactively detect several million fraudulent accounts sold via this marketplace, 95% of which we disable with Twitter’s help. During active months, the 27 merchants we monitor appeared responsible for registering 10–20% of all accounts later flagged for spam by Twitter, generating $127–459K for their efforts.

Kurt Thomas, University of California, Berkeley, and Twitter

Damon McCoy, George Mason University

Chris Grier, University of California, Berkeley, and International Computer Science Institute

Alek Kolcz, Twitter

Vern Paxson, University of California, Berkeley, and International Computer Science Institute

Open Access Media

USENIX is committed to Open Access to the research presented at our events. Papers and proceedings are freely available to everyone once the event begins. Any video, audio, and/or slides that are posted after the event are also free and open to everyone. Support USENIX and our commitment to Open Access.

BibTeX
@inproceedings {182939,
author = {Kurt Thomas and Damon McCoy and Chris Grier and Alek Kolcz and Vern Paxson},
title = {{Trafficking} Fraudulent Accounts: The Role of the Underground Market in Twitter Spam and Abuse},
booktitle = {22nd USENIX Security Symposium (USENIX Security 13)},
year = {2013},
isbn = {978-1-931971-03-4},
address = {Washington, D.C.},
pages = {195--210},
url = {https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity13/technical-sessions/paper/thomas},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = aug,
}
Download
Thomas PDF
View the slides

Presentation Video

Presentation Audio

MP3 Download OGG Download

Download Audio

  • Log in or    Register to post comments

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Media Sponsors & Industry Partners

© USENIX

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us