According to reports, cryptocurrency scammers are using official government websites in different countries to redirect potential victims to the scam MetaMask website. Government websites in India, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, Brazil, Vietnam, and other countries are being targeted by these cryptocurrency scammers. MetaMask is an Ethereum-based crypto wallet popular with members of the global crypto community. Many investors in the digital asset space visit the site on a regular basis, so a fake URL could lead to their wallets being emptied by scammers.
People who find themselves on these government links are taken to a “phishing” link called “MetaMask.io,” according to a CoinTelegraph Report citing the results of an internal investigation. The websites of the Nigerian Postal Service and the Ambala Municipal Corporation redirect visitors to a fake MetaMask website.
Microsoft’s built-in security system, Microsoft Defender, does display red alerts, warning users of potential phishing attempts. If users continue to visit the site anyway, they may find themselves in financial trouble.
MetaMask has not solved this problem. Meanwhile, screenshots of these infected government links have appeared on social media.
The incident comes as India prepares to host the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9. As part of its current G20 presidency, India has spearheaded the task of drafting rules for international cryptocurrencies. grade.
The frequent incidents of fraud that have plagued the digital asset industry, coupled with the misuse of cryptocurrencies for criminal activities such as money laundering and terrorist financing, have been major concerns for governments around the world, hindering the rapid growth of Web3.
Cryptocurrency investors have lost as much as $4 million (roughly Rs 332 crore) in recent months by participating in hoax links spread across the web, ScamSniffer said in a recent report.
Scammers are also targeting Google search results, taking advantage of people’s propensity to interact with Google ads. Cybercriminals are buying ads for real websites on Google. When potential victims click on these links, they are sent to “kochava.com,” an ad network that then redirects people to fake scam sites.
Svlook
