Crypto Scams of the Week: MetaMask Phishing / Sextortion Attempt

    Crypto Scams of the Week: MetaMask Phishing / Sextortion Attempt

    For our crypto-investor friends out there, it’s important to keep tabs on crypto-scammers’ activities too — with that in mind, here’s what we’ve found at Trend Micro this week.

    MetaMask Phishing

    MetaMask, designed for the Ethereum blockchain, is one of the biggest cryptocurrency wallet platforms — and this makes it a prime target for crypto scammers. Netizens have reportedly been receiving bogus SMS messages under the guise of an official MetaMask security alert.

    SMS Content:

    “we inform you that your wallet will be suspended if you do not activate the sms authentication system: hxxps://login-metamask[.]io/”

    The aim of these phishing attacks is to panic and pressure users into rashly following the link in order to resolve the issue. The problem is the link will lead to a fake page (as below) — and upon entering information, users will have their security details compromised.  

    Crypto Scams_MetaMask_2020601
    Sample Fake Login Page

    Sextortion Attempt

    This next attack is a little different from the above, but utilizes the anonymity of cryptocurrency for criminal ends — hence why we’re counted this as a crypto-scam.

    Would-be victims have reported receiving alarming emails in which the sender claims to have access to the victim’s device via a Trojan virus. The scammer claims to have videographic evidence of the victim’s sexual and pornographic activities — content which will be released if the victim doesn’t pay a ransom via bitcoin. Stay strong and don’t fall for it!

    Crypto Scams_Sextortion_20220601
    Sample Email

    Users can find records of other similar attacks here.

    Protect Yourself with Trend Micro Check

    • Double-check people’s contact details — and URLs.
    • Reach out to official websites and support pages directly for help if in doubt.
    • NEVER use links or buttons from unknown sources! Use Trend Micro Check to detect scams with ease: Trend Micro Check is an all-in-one browser extension and mobile app for detecting scams, phishing attacks, malware, and dangerous links — and it’s FREE!

    After you’ve pinned the Trend Micro Check extension, it will block dangerous sites automatically! (It’s available on Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.)

    TMC_CTA_Extension_2022

    You can also download the Trend Micro Check mobile app for 24/7 automatic scam and spam detection and filtering (available for Android and iOS).

    TMC_CTA_Mobile_2022

    Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check. For smartphones (where much crypto trading takes place) we’d recommend Trend Micro Mobile Security. Its cloud-based Smart Protection Network™ and Mobile App Reputation technology will stop threats before they even reach you.

    If you’d like to read more, you can visit our dedicated cryptocurrency news page. Finally, if you’ve found this article to be a helpful and/or interesting read, please do SHARE with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected.

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