Etherscan Users Targeted in Massive Phishing Campaign Fueled by Lax Ad Aggregator Supervision
Summary:
This article reveals a major phishing campaign targeting Etherscan users, discovered by X community member McBiblets, which involves deceptive ads on various platforms. According to a Web3 anti-fraud service, Scam Sniffer, the attack spreads beyond Etherscan to search engines and known phishing sites. The report attributes the scope of this phishing attempt to ad aggregators' lack of supervision. The phishing operation tricks users into linking their crypto wallets to fake websites, allowing scammers to steal substantial sums. The Angel Drainer cyber phishing group is alleged to be behind this ongoing scam. Despite this, the fraudsters' true identity remains undiscovered.
A substantial phishing effort has been launched against Etherscan users, with Ethereum blockchain explorer Etherscan hosting a series of ads identified as part of this campaign. X community member McBiblets first spotted these deceptive ads, advising caution for users to prevent being led to phishing sites when they click on such ads. A deeper probe found these harmful ads not just on Etherscan, but they were also featured on well-known phishing portals. Popular search engines such as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and X social media platform were also found to host these deceitful ads, following the discovery by McBiblets, as reported by Web3 anti-fraud service Scam Sniffer.
Scam Sniffer attributed the phishing effort's scope to ad aggregators' lax supervision: “Etherscan uses services like Coinzilla and Persona to collect ads, where lenient screening could raise susceptibility to phishing attempts.”
Users are tricked into visiting counterfeit pages and directed to connect their crypto wallets in the wallet drainer con. Once done, the rogue entities transfer the money to their private wallet addresses, sidestepping user approval or verification. 23pds, head security officer at blockchain defence company SlowMist, cautioned about Etherscan’s phishing ads, saying be wary of phishing ads presence on Etherscan.
The notorious and seasoned Angel Drainer cyber phishing association is believed to be orchestrating this sustained phishing assault against Etherscan users. Yet, definitive proof linking the fraudsters remains undisclosed at the moment of reporting. Check Cointelegraph’s guide to learn more about stopping phishing breaches.
As per the co-founder at CertiK, phishing scams revolving around cryptocurrencies have touched critical levels. Last year alone, digital money phishing cons robbed close to $300 million from above 324,000 unsuspecting victims by leveraging wallet drainers.
As revealed by Scam Sniffer, despite shutting down the drainers, the 'phishing syndicates' relocate their operations since there is no shortage of platforms offering services to scam operators. Updated: Contrary to squashing the metaverse, AI will pave the way for it — Alien Worlds, Bittensor vs Eric Wall: AI Eye.
Published At
4/8/2024 10:30:31 AM
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