Scammers are targeting Chinese-language users on Twitter, harassing political dissidents and influential figures

Chinese sextortion scammer accounts have flooded X (previously Twitter) since April after the platform introduced a new blue-check policy allowing users to buy verified badges. They target the Chinese community’s most prominent voices, alienating many users who had turned to the platform as a crucial news source outside the Great Firewall. Some users have decided to take matters into their own hands, organizing online campaigns and creating software to identify, block, and harass scammers.