According to a new security study, the Libra digital currency that Facebook is preparing to launch next year has already attracted the interest of malicious actors.
The social networking platform announced its new cryptocurrency on June 18, along with 27 other of the world's largest companies.
Since that day, website domain registrations for names related to the new cryptocurrency have skyrocketed as many users seek to take advantage of the new project. On June 19, more than 100 domains related to Libra were registered, while several dozen were recorded referring to names related to the Calibra digital wallet.
And while most of these listings come from people hoping to sell their Facebook domains at a good price, others may have darker intentions.
Researchers at Digital Shadows said that websites hosting malicious content can be divided into two categories: Those that attempt to exploit the legitimate website and those that promote scams that misuse the Libra name.
As Alex Guirakhoo, principal intelligence analyst at Digital Shadows, noted in a blog post describing the issue: “It’s no surprise that there are already several domains that have been created to be exact copies of the official Libra and Facebook Calibra websites.”
To appear legitimate, cybercriminals register domains that use Greek, Cyrillic, and other letters that resemble those of the Latin alphabet used in English.
For example, a website domain could be created in such a way that it resembles the official domain, replacing the letter "a" with the character "α".
Researchers at Digital Shadows discovered at least six examples of such domains, which copy the Libra or Calibra website using this technique.
“When it comes to the most convincing sites, it can be almost impossible to determine which ones are legitimate and which ones are fake,” according to Mr. Guirakhoo.
A Facebook spokesperson told The Independent: “We are aware of the issue and will work with the Libra Association to take appropriate action.”.
