Desperate messages from false Ukrainians invade Twitter and other social networks. Requests for humanitarian aid might circulate unnoticed during chaos in Eastern Europe.
As the combat between Russia and Ukraine rages on and more citizens and soldiers due to the attacks, scammers and other criminals lurk in the social networks looking for an opportunity to get money from the chaos. On social media, scammers are posing as Ukrainians to ask for help from users, mostly in bitcoins.
Cybersecurity firm Avast expressed that it has detected many fake donation posts appearing on various social networks, including Twitter. In some cases, scammers disguise themselves as Ukrainians needing humanitarian help.
The company referred to a Russian forum post asking for a donation valued at $1.2 in bitcoin, but at the time, the average transaction fee on the network surpassed the amount they requested. The attackers do not aim at the donation but capture the unwary to steal their cryptocurrencies.
The cybersecurity firm does reveal how the attackers extract user funds or if any victims have lost their digital assets through this strategy. However, Phishing is the way these criminals execute these attacks.
Clicking on a link with the excellent intention of donating bitcoin to Ukrainians might become a nightmare for any unwary user because the user provides their name and password, thus giving the criminals total power over their violated wallets. These criminals, then, will extract the funds housed in the digital wallet they own.
Protect your Bitcoins
Users cannot trust people’s appearances because they do not show who they are or think. This statement applies to these situations since, in social networks, deceivers use increasingly cunning tactics to take advantage of others and extract their crypto assets.
Fake bitcoin donation requests usually use specific language ranging from heartbreaking to threatening. Among the arguments, users most consider these fragments: “help, I’m stuck here,” or 2I have money, a lot of money” the latter is the case, particularly of someone who asks for help to transfer urgent cash and cannot find how.
Bitcoin and other currencies like Binance Coin, ether, Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency, and tether registered a value of at least $37 million in money from donations worldwide.
Various charity projects founded by blockchain activists have popped up. One of them is Unchain, to which multiple companies like Polygon Solana, among others, belong. According to their official page, they have already gathered at least $1.5 million worth of ether together.
Come Back Alive’s Ukrainian non-governmental organization also focuses on bringing aid to the armed forces and receiving bitcoin donations.
By: Jenson Nuñez
