Cryptocurrency scams increase 40% in a year

According to a new report from security firm Kaspersky, the financial threat landscape in 2022 has changed significantly. While attacks using traditional financial threats such as desktop and mobile banking are no longer so common, cybercriminals are gradually shifting their attention to new areas, including the cryptocurrency industry.

In 2022, cryptocurrency scams were classified as a separate scam category and saw a significant increase of 40%, with 5,040,520 cryptocurrency scams detected compared to 3,596,437 in 2021. This increase can be partly explained by the “turbulence” of the cryptocurrency market last year. Currently, there is no accurate prediction of the trend of cryptocurrency scams, which largely depends on users’ trust in this virtual currency.

Specifically, users receive an English PDF file via email, stating that they have registered for a cloud cryptocurrency mining platform a long time ago and need to withdraw their funds immediately because their account is inactive. This PDF file contains a link to a fake mining platform. To withdraw cryptocurrencies, users must fill in a personal information form, including card or account numbers, and pay commissions via e-wallet or directly to the specified wallet address.

Lừa đảo liên quan tiền điện tử tăng 40% trong một năm - Ảnh 1. — An example of a crypto scam in action occurred in February 2023

Olga Svistunova, security expert at Kaspersky, commented: "Despite some problems that have occurred in the cryptocurrency market in the past six months, in the minds of many people, cryptocurrencies are still a symbol of getting rich quickly without much effort. Therefore, the resources of scammers in this field will not be exhausted. To lure victims into their networks, scammers will continue to come up with new and more interesting stories."

To prevent these attack methods, security firm Kaspersky recommends:

- Be wary of phishing scams: Scammers often use phishing emails or fake websites to trick people into revealing login information or private keys. Always double-check the website URL and don't click on any suspicious links.

- Don't share your private key: Your private key unlocks your cryptocurrency wallet. Keep it private and never share it with anyone.

- Research before investing: Before investing in any cryptocurrency, research the project and the team behind it thoroughly. Check the project's website, whitelist, and social media channels to ensure the project is legitimate.

- Install an additional security tool: For example, Kaspersky Premium prevents all known and unknown forms of cryptocurrency fraud, as well as the unauthorized use of computer processing power for cryptocurrency mining.

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