Scammers have been observed using an advanced tactic to steal Toncoins (Ton) from Telegram users worldwide.
This schedule, discovered by researchers from Kaspersky and described in a report published today, has been operational since November 2023 and uses the growing popularity of both Ton and the Messaging Platform Telegram.
Goals from different regions have fallen victim to the trick of the fraudsters. The perpetrators attract unsuspecting telegram users through a referral system and seduce them with promises of an “excluding earnings program” shared through contacts in their network.
The diagram unfolds as victims are instructed to join an unofficial telegram -bot, supposedly made for storing cryptocurrency and linking it to a legitimate wallet. At the same time, they are instructed to obtain Toncoins through official channels, such as the Telegram Bot, P2P markets or cryptocurrency exchanges, which promotes a false sense of safety.
Subsequently, victims are forced to buy “boosters” via a separate bone. These boosters, labeled as ‘bicycle’, ‘car’, ‘train’, ‘plane’ or ‘rocket’, have different costs ranging from 5 to 500 toncoins, depending on the selected rate.
“The ‘boosters’ are advertised by scammers as tools that enable users to earn somehow on their coins,” Olga Svistunova, senior web content analyst at Kaspersky. “This schedule looks like boosters in online games – by buying one, the user gets extra benefits.”
The schedule also escalates when victims are encouraged to make private telegram groups with friends, sharing reference connections and instructional videos recorded in advance by the scammers.
For context, the Telegram Open Network (Ton), initially developed by the Durov brothers and now supported by an independent community, is reportedly 900 million monthly users, making it a tempting target for fraudulent activities.
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In the light of these developments, Kaspersky experts warned users against falling for promises of fast riches and advised vigilance in dealing with cryptocurrency transactions. They recommend using extensive security measures to protect against scams and to remain informed about evolving fraudulent regulations.