SCAMMERS CASH IN ON UKRAINIAN WAR WITH CRYPTO SCAMS ON THE DARK WEB: REPORT

Wed 23 March 2022:

As the Russian-Ukraine conflict continues, multiple dark web donation pages have appeared, appealing for cryptocurrency donations for the Ukrainian cause.

While some are providing genuine contribution services, many fraudulent adverts have flooded the dark web, according to Check Point Research, the cybersecurity solutions provider’s threat intelligence arm.

The darknet is a section of the internet that is hidden from search engines and accessible only through anonymous browsers.

Several prominent organisations like BBC and Twitter have been using the dark web to bring regular updates to Russia as their services have been restricted in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, in the midst of all these, several scammers have been running fake donation camps to collect money with ‘Help Ukraine’ advertisements.

“CPR has always taken a close look at the Darknet. Last year, we found advertisements for fake coronavirus services. Now, we’re seeing donation scams appear on the Darknet, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies,” says Oded Vanunu, head of product vulnerabilities research at Check Point Software.

One such ad featured a mother and her children, who were in bad shape and needed money to escape the war-torn country. However, the image was unrelated and was taken out of context from a German newspaper, Vanunu said.

Sites like Defend Ukraine, as well as a Twitter account associated with it, have been found to be trustworthy, according to the report.

The website includes a list of organizations and NGOs in Ukraine that are in need of help, as well as contribution options in bitcoin and ethereum. Since its registration in February 2022, it has received nearly $9 million in funding.

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