Fraudsters use new scam method on Telegram

Fraudsters have started actively using the new Telegram Stars currency to steal valuable data. This is reported by the website of "Izvestia" newspaper.

The source notes that the fraudsters have started to spread advertisements that the sale of the new currency is carried out by bypassing the App Store and Google Play and they promise to do it on favorable terms. However, in reality, this is how they want to get personal data of users, including access to the Telegram Wallet crypto wallet.

According to Elix Smirnov, a leading analyst at InfoWatch Group, Telegram has become one of the most accessible options for using cryptocurrency, so there are people who want to make money with it.

"Crypto has become a popular means of payment, especially given the restrictions on money transfers and purchases abroad. Not all users are ready to create separate wallets and create random passwords for them, and the simple option of attaching a wallet to a Telegram account has become one of the most accessible options. It is quite logical that there are people who want to make money from it," said Elix Smirnov.

BI.ZONE Brand Protecton expert Dmitry Kiryushin, in his turn, said that the main motive of scammers is the user's desire to earn money and receive a very high income. According to his prediction, the number of fraudulent resources related to Stars will increase rapidly in the near future, and the reason is the constant growth of the audience of Telegram, as well as the increase of interest of users in cryptocurrency.

According to him, only in the first half of 2024, the company's specialists registered about 12,000 phishing resources. Attackers also often use the theme of cryptocurrencies to hide phishing scams. Offering quick money and profitable investments is one of the scammers' favorite tricks, he added.

According to Olga Svistunova, senior content analyst at Kaspersky Lab, to protect yourself from fraudsters, you should be critical of any information you come across on the Internet, especially if it concerns financial transactions.

The expert recommends installing a reliable security system that will warn you when visiting phishing and fraudulent resources. You should also use two-factor authentication and not give one-time authorization codes to anyone, not only in Telegram, but also in other applications.