Discord Scammers Lure Users to Fake Exchange With Promise of Free Bitcoin
The scammers may be trying to collect a database of crypto users for sale on the dark web, said Kaspersky.
Feb 4, 2021 at 1:42 p.m. UTCUpdated Aug 19, 2021 at 7:04 a.m. UTC
:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindeskuat/2MMLNJEM2VHD7FBYS6TODBOWYE.jpg)
Scammers have been targeting users on Discord, the chat server platform popular with gamers, by offering them free bitcoin or ethereum on a fake exchange platform.
- The fraudsters targeted Discord users on cryptocurrency-focused servers, sending them private messages purporting to be from a new exchange giving away cryptocurrency, according to a Kaspersky Daily report on Thursday.
- Potential victims are told to register with the exchange, offering up personal data in the process, and either make a small cryptocurrency deposit or go through a fake know-your-customer (KYC) identity check to complete the process.
- Claiming the free crypto appears to work, crediting the user's exchange account with the promised amount, but when a withdrawal is attempted it fails.
- The supposed exchange, called "withEREUM" in this case (the scam changes such details regularly to keep it fresh), has been convincingly designed to look authentic, even touting two-factor authentication, said Kaspersky.
- As well as nabbing visitors' crypto, the scammers may be collecting a database of crypto users, per the report, which could "fetch a nice price on the dark web."
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
13:18
Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
05:10
Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
04:07
The first video of the year 2024
40:07
The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
:format(webp)/downloads.coindesk.com/arc/failsafe/user/1x1.png)