Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm, has warned that online scammers are using fake startups to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting users.
According to the findings shared on July 10, the attackers use methods similar to those seen in “Traffer Group” campaigns, which are known for stealing account details and other sensitive data through malicious software.
This scam works by creating fake companies that claim to work in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), gaming, Web3, and social media. These fake start-ups use hacked X accounts to contact people and also publish posts on Medium and GitHub to make their projects look real.
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Darktrace explained in the report that victims are usually approached through private messages on X, Telegram, or Discord. The cybersecurity firm noted:
A fake employee of the company will contact a victim asking to test out their software in exchange for a cryptocurrency payment.
The attackers then send a link to download the malicious software. When victims install it, a Cloudflare security screen appears, while the program secretly begins collecting data from the computer.
As part of this process, the malware steals the victim’s cryptocurrency wallet credentials. Both Windows and Mac users have been affected, the report stated.
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