Aug 22, 2011 15:54 GMT  ·  By

Google has introduced an account verification system for high profile individuals that is similar to Twitter's, but researchers warn that this is not a fix to impersonation issues.

Cyber criminals have long used fake celebrity social media profiles to spread malware which prompted the launch of such programs in the first place.

However, there have also been numerous cases where legitimate verified accounts were hijacked and used to spread fake rumors, spam users or even direct them to trojans.

"A 'Verified Account' badge only tells you that it's the official Google+ page for that person. Importantly, it doesn't tell you that it really was that individual that wrote the message you just read," Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, warns.

"It won't stop celebrity Twitter users from choosing dumb passwords, or being careless with their credentials," he explains.

Past incidents support the security expert's fears that in some situations, verified accounts, or verified names as Google calls them, can do more harm than good.

For example, back in June, hackers managed to hijack the Twitter account of British actor Simon Pegg and instructed his 1.3 million followers to download a screen saver about his latest movie, Paul.

The rogue screen saver was actually the installer for a banking trojan and many people infected themselves as a result of the incident. Simon Pegg has a verified Twitter Account.

"None of this is to say that Google+'s verified account facility is a bad idea. It's just not as much of a security fix as some folks might hope," Cluley concludes. Users should train themselves to treat all online messages with suspicion regardless of who sent them.