Dark Web Scammers catch 200 BTC with typos

With typo-squatting, scammers have stolen 200 BTC in the Dark Web. A scammer network claims to have appropriated over $ 700,000 in BTC over a four-year period using fake domain names.

The IT security firm Dark Shadows reported on March 21, 2019 a new bitcoin scam in Dark Net, which is based on the falsification of individual characters in Tor URLs.

The Shadow Search tool from Dark Shadows found bragging statements conceding fraud in Tor networks.

Typo-Squatting: Fake domain names as a scam

Typo-squatting is a form of cyber-squatting and uses spelling mistakes of Internet users as a fraud. User who z. B. instead of btc-echo.de btcc-echo.de, landing on a copied and deceptively real-looking site that steals their information.

The criminals use the scams targeted on websites that are made up of many characters and make clerical errors more likely because the URLs look right at first glance. The .onion domains are particularly suitable because they consist of long and complex strings.

Typo Squatting in the Dark Web: No Mercy Among Criminals

While most typo-squatting actions use the URLs of legitimate companies in Clearweb as a basis, the scam artists in the Dark Web intentionally copied hidden websites like AlphaBay, Hidden Answers, and Valhalla. An analysis by the Dark Shadows photon research team revealed 350 proprietary .onion domains appearing to be forged as "real" dark web domains.

In a user-facing speech, the scoundrels boast of their alleged success and mock their supposed victims: "I never expected such an amount of payments - really - are you all stupid? Does not anyone really control the URLs they're on? "Finally, after" thanking "the cheated, the scammers announce the end of their scamming activities.

The network operates according to its own statement for four years. The Scam has over 800 domains and reportedly brought in $ 792,000 worth of BTC.

Dark Shadows can not conclusively verify the authenticity of the message and in particular the amount of the damage. Nevertheless, typo-squatting on dark net can be a profitable business for cybercriminals. Users are invited to pay attention to typo squatting and to report suspicious domains.