BTC ERA Phishing Attack - Revision history

Azoundria at 16:15, 2 May 2023

2023-05-02T16:15:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:15, 2 May 2023
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	{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}}		{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}}
	{{Unattributed ~~Citations~~}}		{{Unattributed Sources}}

	[[File:Bitcoinera.jpg\|thumb\|Bitcoin Era]]Bitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to give approval to malicious adware.		[[File:Bitcoinera.jpg\|thumb\|Bitcoin Era]]Bitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to give approval to malicious adware.

	This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.		This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.<ref name="slowmisthacked-1160" /><ref name="bitcoinera-4327" /><ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328" /><ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329" /><ref name="youtube-4330" />
	<ref name="slowmisthacked-1160" /><ref name="bitcoinera-4327" /><ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328" /><ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329" /><ref name="youtube-4330" />

	== About Bitcoin Era ==		== About Bitcoin Era ==
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	!Description		!Description
	\|-		\|-
	\|August 25th, 2020 ~~12:00:00 AM~~		\|August 25th, 2020
	\|Main Event		\|Main Event
	\|Expand this into a brief description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.		\|Expand this into a brief description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.
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	\|		\|
	\|}		\|}

			== Technical Details ==
			This section includes specific detailed technical analysis of any security breaches which happened. What specific software vulnerabilities contributed to the problem and how were they exploited?

	== Total Amount Lost ==		== Total Amount Lost ==
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	== Ongoing Developments ==		== Ongoing Developments ==
	What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?		What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?
			== Individual Prevention Policies ==
			{{Prevention:Individuals:Placeholder}}

			{{Prevention:Individuals:End}}

			== Platform Prevention Policies ==
			{{Prevention:Platforms:Placeholder}}

			{{Prevention:Platforms:End}}

			== Regulatory Prevention Policies ==
			{{Prevention:Regulators:Placeholder}}

	== Prevention ~~Policies ==~~		{{Prevention:Regulators:End}}
	~~Which policies could have prevented this event from happening?~~

	== References ==		== References ==
	<references><ref name="slowmisthacked-1160">[https://hacked.slowmist.io/en/?c=Exchange SlowMist Hacked - SlowMist Zone] (Jun 25, 2021)</ref>		<references><ref name="slowmisthacked-1160">[https://hacked.slowmist.io/en/?c=Exchange SlowMist Hacked - SlowMist Zone] (Jun 26, 2021)</ref>

	<ref name="bitcoinera-4327">[https://bitcoinera.io/ <nowiki>Bitcoin Era App ™ [Official Website]</nowiki>] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>		<ref name="bitcoinera-4327">[https://bitcoinera.io/ <nowiki>Bitcoin Era App ™ [Official Website]</nowiki>] (Dec 11, 2021)</ref>

	<ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328">[https://abnormalsecurity.com/blog/abnormal-attack-stories-bitcoin-malware BTC Era Impersonated in Malware Attack \| Abnormal] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>		<ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328">[https://abnormalsecurity.com/blog/abnormal-attack-stories-bitcoin-malware BTC Era Impersonated in Malware Attack \| Abnormal] (Dec 11, 2021)</ref>

	<ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329">[https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>		<ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329">[https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/] (Dec 11, 2021)</ref>

	<ref name="youtube-4330">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjH7Kj2qqE THIS IS A SCAM. #BITCOIN-ERA #BITCOIN-PROFIT - YouTube] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref></references>		<ref name="youtube-4330">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjH7Kj2qqE THIS IS A SCAM. #BITCOIN-ERA #BITCOIN-PROFIT - YouTube] (Dec 11, 2021)</ref></references>

Azoundria at 17:21, 17 February 2023

2023-02-17T17:21:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:21, 17 February 2023
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	{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}}		{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}}
			{{Unattributed Citations}}

	[[File:Bitcoinera.jpg\|thumb\|Bitcoin Era]]Bitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to give approval to malicious adware.		[[File:Bitcoinera.jpg\|thumb\|Bitcoin Era]]Bitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to give approval to malicious adware.

	This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.		This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.
			<ref name="slowmisthacked-1160" /><ref name="bitcoinera-4327" /><ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328" /><ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329" /><ref name="youtube-4330" />

	== About Bitcoin Era ==		== About Bitcoin Era ==
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	Don't Include:		Don't Include:

	* Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.		* Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
	* Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.		* Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.
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	\|-		\|-
	\|August 25th, 2020 12:00:00 AM		\|August 25th, 2020 12:00:00 AM
	\|~~First~~ Event		\|Main Event
	\|~~This is an expanded~~ description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.		\|Expand this into a brief description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.
	\|-
	\|
	\|
	\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	== Total Amount Lost ==		== Total Amount Lost ==
	~~The total amount~~ lost ~~is unknown~~.		No funds were lost.

	How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?		How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?
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	== Total Amount Recovered ==		== Total Amount Recovered ==
	~~It is unknown how much was~~ recovered.		There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.

	What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?		What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?
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	== Prevention Policies ==		== Prevention Policies ==
			Which policies could have prevented this event from happening?

	== References ==		== References ==
	[https://hacked.slowmist.io/en/?c=Exchange SlowMist Hacked - SlowMist Zone] (Jun 25)		<references><ref name="slowmisthacked-1160">[https://hacked.slowmist.io/en/?c=Exchange SlowMist Hacked - SlowMist Zone] (Jun 25, 2021)</ref>

	[https://bitcoinera.io/ <nowiki>Bitcoin Era App ™ [Official Website]</nowiki>] (Dec 10)		<ref name="bitcoinera-4327">[https://bitcoinera.io/ <nowiki>Bitcoin Era App ™ [Official Website]</nowiki>] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>

	[https://abnormalsecurity.com/blog/abnormal-attack-stories-bitcoin-malware BTC Era Impersonated in Malware Attack \| Abnormal] (Dec 10)		<ref name="abnormalsecurity-4328">[https://abnormalsecurity.com/blog/abnormal-attack-stories-bitcoin-malware BTC Era Impersonated in Malware Attack \| Abnormal] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>

	[https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/] (Dec 10)		<ref name="infosecuritymagazine-4329">[https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref>

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjH7Kj2qqE THIS IS A SCAM. #BITCOIN-ERA #BITCOIN-PROFIT - YouTube] (Dec 10)		<ref name="youtube-4330">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjH7Kj2qqE THIS IS A SCAM. #BITCOIN-ERA #BITCOIN-PROFIT - YouTube] (Dec 10, 2021)</ref></references>

Azoundria: Created page with "{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}} Bitcoin EraBitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once th..."

2023-01-25T17:45:14Z

Created page with "{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}} thumb|Bitcoin EraBitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once th..."

New page

{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btceraphishingattack.php}}

[[File:Bitcoinera.jpg|thumb|Bitcoin Era]]Bitcoin Era is a trading tool which purports to allow for profitable cryptocurrency trading. As if the service weren't suspicious enough by claiming 99% success in transactions and marketing itself using celebrities, there were reports of phishing emails claiming to be from Bitcoin Era but actually from a separate scammer. Once the user visits the site, they are prompted to give approval to malicious adware.

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

== About Bitcoin Era ==
"Become a part of the Bitcoin Era and Start trading Cryptocurrency like a Pro"

"Our Bitcoin Era platform is able to provide regular people with the best of the best trading tools. Our reputable partners are Crypto trading enthousiasts that can offer various methods to trade Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Tether, XRP and sometimes many more. On top of that they are licensed by an official regulator to make sure your investment is completely safe."

"Our Bitcoin Era app is simply a secure gateway that helps people enter the world of trading, and in particular Bitcoin trading. But that's not all. As most of our partners offer trading tools that give you the possibility to trade Cryptocurrencies without the use of a wallet or other technical storage devices. On top of that they offer systems like stop-loss, indicators, automation tools, robots and other technical highlights to help you overcome the volatility in the markets."

"Some cybercriminals have been counterfeiting the BTC ERA trading platform in order to infect potential users with malware. The cybersecurity company discovered that the perpetrators had been sending emails allegedly from BTC ERA to induce users to invest and pay."

"The attack impersonates an automated email from BTC Era, a platform for trading cryptocurrency. However, the email is actually sent from aurinekevinlola@gmail.com. The sender addresses the recipient by name, and the email states that the recipient has been approved to make a BTC transaction, which requires a minimum deposit of $250 to start. Following this is a concealed URL with text that reads “create an account”."

"Clicking on the “create an account” link leads to multiple redirects, before landing on “theverifycheck.com” webpage. Upon arriving at this landing page, a pop-up alert requests permission to show notifications from the website. After clicking “Allow” the landing page remains static."

"By clicking “Allow”, the user has actually given permission for Adware to run on their device. It only appears that nothing has happened. Going into chrome settings, the user would be able to see that the website is running Malwarebytes, thus rendering their devices as tools to monitor user behavior, as well as launch ads and spam targeting the user."

Ken Liao, vice-president of cybersecurity strategy at Abnormal Security, commented: “We have seen that over the last few months the weekly volume of attacks impersonating Bitcoin platforms has remained relatively constant. We saw an increased rate of these impersonations between the end of March through the beginning of May, though.”

He added: “We would advise organizations and their employees to double check the senders and addresses for messages to ensure that they’re coming from legitimate sources. Don’t just trust the display name. In addition, we would advise everyone to always double check the webpage’s URL before signing in.

“Attackers will often hide malicious links in redirects or host them on separate websites that can be reached by safe links. This allows them to bypass link scanning within emails by traditional email security solutions. If the URL looks suspicious, don’t enter your credentials and always verify with your company’s IT department."

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

The background of the exchange platform, service, or individuals involved, as it would have been seen or understood at the time of the events.

Include:

* Known history of when and how the service was started.
* What problems does the company or service claim to solve?
* What marketing materials were used by the firm or business?
* Audits performed, and excerpts that may have been included.
* Business registration documents shown (fake or legitimate).
* How were people recruited to participate?
* Public warnings and announcements prior to the event.

Don't Include:

* Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
* Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.
There could be more than one section here. If the same platform is involved with multiple incidents, then it can be linked to a main article page.

== The Reality ==
This sections is included if a case involved deception or information that was unknown at the time. Examples include:

* When the service was actually started (if different than the "official story").
* Who actually ran a service and their own personal history.
* How the service was structured behind the scenes. (For example, there was no "trading bot".)
* Details of what audits reported and how vulnerabilities were missed during auditing.

== What Happened ==
The specific events of the loss and how it came about. What actually happened to cause the loss and some of the events leading up to it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Key Event Timeline - BTC ERA Phishing Attack
!Date
!Event
!Description
|-
|August 25th, 2020 12:00:00 AM
|First Event
|This is an expanded description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|}

== Total Amount Lost ==
The total amount lost is unknown.

How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?

== Immediate Reactions ==
How did the various parties involved (firm, platform, management, and/or affected individual(s)) deal with the events? Were services shut down? Were announcements made? Were groups formed?

== Ultimate Outcome ==
What was the end result? Was any investigation done? Were any individuals prosecuted? Was there a lawsuit? Was any tracing done?

== Total Amount Recovered ==
It is unknown how much was recovered.

What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?

== Ongoing Developments ==
What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?

== Prevention Policies ==

== References ==
[https://hacked.slowmist.io/en/?c=Exchange SlowMist Hacked - SlowMist Zone] (Jun 25)

[https://bitcoinera.io/ <nowiki>Bitcoin Era App ™ [Official Website]</nowiki>] (Dec 10)

[https://abnormalsecurity.com/blog/abnormal-attack-stories-bitcoin-malware BTC Era Impersonated in Malware Attack | Abnormal] (Dec 10)

[https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malicious-actors-bitcoin-launch/] (Dec 10)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kjH7Kj2qqE THIS IS A SCAM. #BITCOIN-ERA #BITCOIN-PROFIT - YouTube] (Dec 10)