Bitcoin Digital Currency Leveraged by Scammers

 Analysis by: Michael Angelo Casayuran

Cybercriminals are leveraging the new digital currency, Bitcoin as a social engineering lure to steal actual money from various users. The spammed message found, bore the subject, Bitcoin: The Easiest Way to Become a Millionaire In 30 Days Flat and encouraged users to install a software for Bitcoin. To further entice the users, the email message contains some details on the supposedly benefits of Bitcoin as a source of income and/or profit. It tells users to click on a link which will redirect to a malicious website. The said website requires users to register by providing their basic information and credit card number. The registration page seems to have no verification which means it will accept any provided data. This is one of the indications that the said website's purpose is to harvest as much credit card account as possible. For the users, this means that cybercriminals can potentially employed their stolen credentials to launch far more nefarious attacks or sell it in the cybercrime underground.

Users are advised to be wary of ‘too good to be true’ scams that ride on the popularity of Bitcoin. Trend Micro protects users from this threat via its Smart Protection Network that detects the spammed message and blocks all-related malicious URLs.

 SPAM BLOCKING DATE / TIME: April 08, 2014 GMT-8
 TMASE INFO
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  • PATTERN:0620