June 3, 2024 at 06:33PM
Microsoft India’s Twitter account, with over 211,000 followers, was hijacked by cryptocurrency scammers impersonating Roaring Kitty. The account, verified by Twitter, gave more legitimacy to the scam posts. Scammers aimed to lure victims to a malicious website and steal cryptocurrency assets. Verified organizations have been increasingly targeted by threat actors promoting cryptocurrency scams.
Based on the meeting notes, it seems that the official Microsoft India account on Twitter, with a substantial following, was hijacked by cryptocurrency scammers to impersonate a well-known meme stock trader, Keith Gill. The scammers utilized the verified status of Microsoft India’s account to give their posts more legitimacy. They took advantage of Gill’s popularity to lure potential victims and infect them with cryptocurrency wallet drainer malware. The hijacked account is being used to reply to tweets, directing followers to a malicious website where they are lured to buy GameStop (GME) crypto in a so-called presale, but in reality, their assets would be stolen if they connect their cryptocurrency wallets to the site and authorize transactions.
This incident seems to be part of a larger trend, with threat actors increasingly targeting verified accounts with ‘gold’ and ‘grey’ checkmarks to lend credibility to tweets that redirect users to phishing sites promoting cryptocurrency scams or spreading crypto drainers. There’s also a mention of other verified accounts, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s account, being compromised in similar attacks.
The notes further highlight the relentless barrage of malicious cryptocurrency ads that X users are facing, leading to scams, fake airdrops, and cryptocurrency and NFT drainers. Additionally, there’s a reference to a significant amount of cryptocurrency being stolen from a large number of people through a single wallet drainer campaign.
It’s evident that these attacks have serious implications for both the security of verified accounts and the potential financial losses for individuals targeted by these scams. The meeting notes provide valuable insights into the specific tactics being employed by threat actors and the broader impact of these attacks.