Bitdefender Labs researchers have observed that cybercriminals are exploiting the assassination attempt against former US President Donald Trump to carry out crypto scams.
Hacking YouTube channels to carry out attacks and scams is not a new method, but cybercriminals continue to refine their tactics to maximize their reach and chances of success.
Attackers now appear to be exploiting the assassination attempt against Donald Trump to lure unsuspecting victims into crypto scams.
Bitdefender researchers identified channels YouTube hacked broadcasting fake live streams with Elon Musk, starting on July 16. These streams supposedly revealed information about the assassination attempt against Trump.
See also: DNS hijacking targets crypto platforms via Squarespace
Although the videos do not mention the incident, the channel descriptions provide additional context, linking billionaire Elon Musk to political support for Trump.
Trump's representatives said after the incident that the former president is doing "well" after the gunshot, which pierced the top of his right ear.
The incident caused panic at the gathering. Billionaire Elon Musk reacted to the incident, stating that he "fully" supports Donald Trump.
Hacked channels and Deepfake videos
The scammers did not change the names of all the hacked YouTube channels, but some were renamed to "Tesla" or "Donald Trump Jr.".
The perpetrators removed the original content of these channels and began live-streaming the same deepfake video promoting crypto offerings with headlines like “Elon Musk reveals information about Trump assassination attempt and election support.”
The potential reach of these crypto scams is alarming. One of the compromised channels has 1.26 million subscribers, while others have anywhere from 100,000 to over 700,000.
See also: Hackers exploit Jenkins Script Console for crypto mining attacks
The shows use deepfake videos of Elon Musk, encouraging viewers to scan a QR code embedded in the video to enter a crypto giveaway.
Scanning these QR codes directs users to fraudulent websites hosted on domains that resemble fictitious brands, such as Tesla, or domains associated with the names of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
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Examples of these malicious domains include musktrump[.]org, tesla-elon[.]gives, elomusk[.]finance, muskrise[.]io, and taketesla[.]org.
See also: Hackers target HFS servers to install cryptominers
Protection from crypto scams
- Be careful with click-bait headlines: Avoid videos and links with catchy headlines related to Tesla or attacking Donald Trump.
- Strengthen the security of your YouTube account: Follow special guides to protect your YouTube account from hackers.
- Avoid scanning QR codes on videos: Don't scan QR codes on YouTube videos that offer crypto giveaways that are too good to be true.
- Check YouTube channels for suspicious activity: Look for signs, such as missing or deleted videos and closed comment sections.
- Use comprehensive security solutions: Use reliable security solutions that can block phishing attemptsandfraudulent connections.
- Only trust official crypto platforms: Using secure and trusted platforms for transactions and avoiding unofficial or unapproved communication channels can also reduce the risk of fraud.
- Stay informed about new scams: Staying informed and educated about the latest scams and methods used by scammers can help identify and avoid crypto scams.
- Do research before investing: It is important to do research before investing somewhere or before connecting your wallet to any service.
Source: gbhackers.com
