Scammers target Discord users with fake exchange and Bitcoin giveaways

Scammers are targeting Discord users on crypto-focused servers, through private messages that appear to come from fake exchanges that are giving away Bitcoin and Ether. A new report from Kaspersky stated that the perpetrators even went to great lengths to make the fake site appear as convincing as possible. The message contains a link that opens to the dubious trading platform. It also details instructions for accepting the supposedly free crypto assets. 

The image below is a screenshot of the message from the scammers.

Source: Kaspersky

Investigators noted the attention to detail in designing the website, which even goes as far as offering victims two-factor authentication. The fake website also includes anti-phishing protection “to secure their accounts.” However, the team stated: 

The purpose is purely to add plausibility; the site’s true purpose is to transfer money from victim to criminal.

On completion of the registration process, the victim must make a deposit of 0.02 BTC (roughly $735 at press time) or its equivalent in ETH. The process also allows victims to go through a KYC process that mimics a legitimate exchange, requiring personal information and a selfie. The team believes that the scammers could be collecting a database of such info with the intention to sell it on darknet sites. 

The victims are even able to claim the free crypto; however, when it comes to withdrawing funds, the attempt fails.

The alleged exchange in question is known as “withEREUM” however, it is common for scammers to change such details often.