A new wave of cyberattacks is sweeping through the cryptocurrency world, and this time, hackers are using a familiar tool to deceive users. Imagine clicking on a trusted Google ad, only to unknowingly invite a virus into your system.
That’s exactly what’s happening now, as cybercriminals disguise their malware as legitimate Google Ads to target crypto owners. But how are they doing it? And what can you do to stay safe?
Read on to uncover the details of this latest scam and learn how to protect yourself from falling victim.
How the Scam Works
According to Scam Sniffer, the attackers are taking advantage of well-known programs like Homebrew, a macOS package manager, to gain users’ trust. They create fake Google Ads that look like promotions for Homebrew installers.
When users click on these ads, they are sent to fake websites that look almost identical to the real Homebrew homepage.
Once on the fake site, users unknowingly download malicious software instead of the genuine program. After running the malware, it specifically targets crypto users by stealing browser data like cookies, passwords, and extensions. It also harvests wallet files from platforms like Electrum, Exodus, Atomic Wallet, and Ledger Live, and tries to get users to enter their system passwords.
What the Malware Steals
The malware doesn’t just target wallet data. It also collects system information, keychain data, and Telegram files. In the end, the goal is to steal victims’ money and transfer it to the attacker’s own accounts. The use of Google Ads makes the scam look more legitimate, making it more likely for people to fall for it.
Google Ads add credibility to the scam, making users more likely to click on them. Since many people trust platforms like Google, these fake ads are harder to spot, and attackers are using this to their advantage to spread viruses.
How to Protect Yourself from These Scams
As these attacks become more advanced, crypto users need to take steps to protect their assets:
- Avoid Clicking on Ads: Whenever possible, go directly to the website you want to visit instead of clicking on search engine ads.
- Verify URLs Carefully: Make sure the website you’re visiting is the real one, not a fake look-alike site.
- Enable Security Features: Use antivirus software and keep your firewall active to prevent malicious downloads.
- Use Hardware Wallets: Hardware wallets provide extra security by keeping your crypto offline and out of reach of online threats.
By staying alert and following these simple steps, cryptocurrency users can protect themselves from these increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Source: https://coinpedia.org/news/fake-google-ads-spread-malware-targeting-crypto-wallets/