Home
News
- Crypto scams are skyrocketing in the industry
- Hackers are using YouTube channels to broadcast crypto scams
- Hackers targets high ranked YouTubers using social media pages and online games
Crypto scams count has continued to skyrocket in the cryptocurrency industry. Recently, the Threat Analysis arm of Google shared that cybercriminals are using YouTube to run phishing campaigns. Notably, hackers are using the most popular platform over the past couple of years to execute malicious activities. To fight such malicious movements Google has partnered with several firms and organizations. Unsurprisingly, the malicious actors are also using social media pages and online games to lure their victims. However, the main target of such illicit persons are high ranked YouTube channels.
Russian hackers broadcasting crypto scams
According to Google’s Threat Analysis group, high ranked YouTube channels are being lured by hackers. Indeed, the hackers are often hijacking such channels, later selling those back for a higher ransom or employing them to broadcast crypto scams. The report also noted that some of the malicious actors recruiting in a Russian-speaking forum had attacked several YouTube channels with highly customized phishing emails.
On the other hand, the illicit players are also using cookie snatching malwares to hijack such channels. Notably, such malware include RedLine, Predator, The Thief, Vidar, Azorult, Raccoon, Grand Stealer, and others.
Social media pages and online games also helps hackers
Google’s report also cited that hackers also lure their victims using social media pages and online games. However, it is notable that the main target of these actors are channels on YouTube with high-ranked content creators. Ultimately, the illicit players are broadcasting crypto scams using those accounts or selling those back in exchange for higher ransom.
Google collaborated with several others
After observing the soaring count of such activities, Google asserted that it is not the only firm that is working on alerts. It is revealed that the multinational American technology firm has made a coalition with others including YouTube, Trust & Safety, Gmail, CyberCrime Investigation Group, and Safe Browsing terms.
With the mutual efforts shared by all these firms, the number of related phishing emails on Gmail decreased by 99.6% since May 2021. Moreover, the firms together have blocked 1.6 million messages to victims, displayed approximately 62k Safe Browsing page warnings, restored around 4k accounts, and blocked more than 2,400 files.
Google’s threat analysis report concluded that more of such emails from hackers shifted from email.cz,CZost.cz, and CZndaol.com. Additionally, to protect the users, the most popular search engine referred the below activity to the FBI for further investigation.
