Sparkster ICO Phishing - Revision history

Azoundria at 18:53, 1 May 2023

2023-05-01T18:53:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:53, 1 May 2023
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	[[File:Sparkster.jpg\|thumb\|Sparkster]]Sparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently contemplating a lawsuit on an unrelated matter.		[[File:Sparkster.jpg\|thumb\|Sparkster]]Sparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently contemplating a lawsuit on an unrelated matter.

	This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.		This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.<ref name="securelist-5678" /><ref name="youtube-5757" /><ref name="icoholder-5758" /><ref name="sparkster-5759" /><ref name="youtube-5760" /><ref name="securelist-5761" /><ref name="cryptobriefing-5762" /><ref name="icobench-5763" /><ref name="quora-5764" /><ref name="icoclassaction-5765" /><ref name="cryptorank-5766" /><ref name="sparkstermedium-5767" /><ref name="hiveblog-5768" /><ref name="bitcointalk-5769" /><ref name="changedotorg-5770" /><ref name="cryptognr-5771" /><ref name="youtube-5772" />
	<ref name="securelist-5678" /><ref name="youtube-5757" /><ref name="icoholder-5758" /><ref name="sparkster-5759" /><ref name="youtube-5760" /><ref name="securelist-5761" /><ref name="cryptobriefing-5762" /><ref name="icobench-5763" /><ref name="quora-5764" /><ref name="icoclassaction-5765" /><ref name="cryptorank-5766" /><ref name="sparkstermedium-5767" /><ref name="hiveblog-5768" /><ref name="bitcointalk-5769" /><ref name="changedotorg-5770" /><ref name="cryptognr-5771" /><ref name="youtube-5772" />

	== About Sparkster ==		== About Sparkster ==
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	!Description		!Description
	\|-		\|-
	\|August 14th, 2018 ~~12:00:00 AM~~		\|August 14th, 2018
	\|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 ==

Azoundria at 05:57, 21 February 2023

2023-02-21T05:57:44Z

Azoundria: Created page with "{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/sparkstericophishing.php}} SparksterSparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently c..."

2023-01-24T21:31:12Z

Created page with "{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/sparkstericophishing.php}} thumb|SparksterSparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently c..."

New page

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

[[File:Sparkster.jpg|thumb|Sparkster]]Sparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently contemplating a lawsuit on an unrelated matter.

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

== About Sparkster ==
"Sparkster is empowering you to bring your ideas to reality by enabling you to build software without writing code. Then run that software on the Sparkster Decentralized Cloud, a specialized blockchain that can support more than 10 Million TPS."

"What if Decentralized Software could be built by anyone in Plain English, without knowledge of programming or blockchain architecture? That's the Sparkster Platform."

"What if this Smart Software could run at 10 Million TPS? That's the Sparkster Decentralized Cloud. We're accelerating blockchain adoption, and want you to join our revolution."

"The Next Generation Sparkster Decentralized Cloud meets the needs of widespread Blockchain adoption by supporting millions of customers and processing tens of millions of transactions per second ON CHAIN! Sparkster Decentralized Cloud is architected to support millions of customers, and hence, support mainstream blockchain adoption."

"We believe software skills are a human right, as important as reading, writing, and math."

"Apps are how we solve problems, build companies, and express our creativity. And in our fast-moving, automated world, they are the new official language of prosperity. But too many of us are left out, lacking the skills or expensive education to know the first thing about creating software."

"Our mission is to change that. You deserve the opportunity to help build the future. Because when you succeed, we all succeed."

"In the second quarter, our antiphishing system prevented 58,000 user attempts to connect to phishing websites masquerading as popular cryptocurrency wallets and markets. In addition to classic phishing, which aims at gaining access to the victim’s accounts and private key information, cybercriminals try every way to entice a victim to willingly send them cryptocurrency. One of the examples of this are cryptocoin giveaways. Cybercriminals continue using the names of new ICO projects to collect money from potential investors that are trying to gain early access to new tokens. Sometimes phishing sites pop up before official project sites."

"Fake ICO projects: the first page is located on the domain fantom.pub and mimics fantom.foundation, the real site of the FANTOM project; the second—hosted on sparkster.be—is a fake version of sparkster.me, the website of the SPARKSTER project."

"Sparkster (SPRK) raised $30M in its initial coin offering (ICO), which concluded in July 2018. Investors are now threatening legal action against the project, alleging that founders purposely misled investors during the sale, with promises of returns as high as 300 times their initial investments. The Telegram handle highlighted in the image below is used by a Sparkster admin who describes himself as the CEO."

"One of the unhappy parties is CryptoArnie, a London-based crypto personality. He explained investors became increasingly worried by the project’s lack of communication."

“I know one person who invested $150,000, and another who put $25,000 into Sparkster,” Arnie said on the phone. “Now the team’s gone AWOL and people are calling for action.”

"Sparkster has denied any allegations of wrongdoing. Daya has said he has been unable to communicate with investors because his mother is in a “critical condition” in hospital."

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 - Sparkster ICO Phishing
!Date
!Event
!Description
|-
|August 14th, 2018 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://securelist.com/in-cryptoland-trust-can-be-costly/86367/ In cryptoland, trust can be costly | Securelist] (Jan 16)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeVvUD5pCkw The Sparkster Decentralized Cloud - YouTube] (Jan 18)

[https://icoholder.com/en/sparkster-21737 Sparkster (SPARK) ICO Rating, Reviews and Details | ICOholder] (Jan 18)

[https://sparkster.me/ Sparkster | No Code Platform and Decentralized Cloud] (Jan 18)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqSpgQIDdk The Sparkster Platform: Sparkster Founder & CEO Sajjad Daya - YouTube] (Jan 18)

[https://securelist.com/spam-and-phishing-in-q2-2018/87368/ Spam and phishing in Q2 2018 | Securelist] (Jan 18)

[https://cryptobriefing.com/sparkster-ico-landmark-uk-case/ ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster - Crypto Briefing] (Jan 18)

[https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster] (Jan 18)

[https://www.quora.com/What-is-Sparkster-ICO What is Sparkster ICO? - Quora] (Jan 18)

[https://ico-class-action.org/class-actions/sparkster Sparkster - ICO Class Action] (Jan 18)

[https://cryptorank.io/ico/sparkster Sparkster ICO (Token Sale) Review And SPRK Token Analysis | CryptoRank.io] (Jan 18)

[https://medium.com/sparkster/sparkster-a-project-of-firsts-in-crypto-ba2be536f153 Sparkster A Project Of Firsts In Crypto] (Jan 18)

[https://hive.blog/sparkster/@martinrosi/sparkster-ico-concerns-and-opportunities-for-ico-investors Sparkster ICO: Concerns and Opportunities for ICO investors — Hive] (Jan 18)

[https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5123118.0 Sparkster: ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster] (Jan 18)

[https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster] (Jan 18)

[https://www.cryptognr.com/cyber-scammers-snatch-2-3m-from-crypto-investors/ Cyber Scammers Snatch $2.3m From Crypto Investors - Crypto GNR] (Jan 18)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jaZLt8c3M SPARKSTER ICO | Crowd Sale Investors BEWARE! 66% BONUS FOR PRE SALE INVESTORS! - YouTube] (Jan 18)

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:57, 20 February 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/sparkstericophishing.php}}		{{Imported Case Study\|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/sparkstericophishing.php}}
			{{Unattributed Sources}}

	[[File:Sparkster.jpg\|thumb\|Sparkster]]Sparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently contemplating a lawsuit on an unrelated matter.		[[File:Sparkster.jpg\|thumb\|Sparkster]]Sparkster was a platform claiming to make code development significantly easier, by abstracting away all the complex technical layers behind the scenes. The platform launched an ICO, and was the subject of a phishing attack at the time, as reported by Kaspersky. It's unknown what, if anything, was lost. Investors were subsequently contemplating a lawsuit on an unrelated matter.

	This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.		This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.
			<ref name="securelist-5678" /><ref name="youtube-5757" /><ref name="icoholder-5758" /><ref name="sparkster-5759" /><ref name="youtube-5760" /><ref name="securelist-5761" /><ref name="cryptobriefing-5762" /><ref name="icobench-5763" /><ref name="quora-5764" /><ref name="icoclassaction-5765" /><ref name="cryptorank-5766" /><ref name="sparkstermedium-5767" /><ref name="hiveblog-5768" /><ref name="bitcointalk-5769" /><ref name="changedotorg-5770" /><ref name="cryptognr-5771" /><ref name="youtube-5772" />

	== About Sparkster ==		== About Sparkster ==
Line 47:		Line 49:

	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.
Line 69:		Line 70:
	\|-		\|-
	\|August 14th, 2018 12:00:00 AM		\|August 14th, 2018 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.		The total amount at risk has been estimated at $30,000,000 USD. 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?		How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?
Line 93:		Line 90:

	== 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?
Line 101:		Line 98:

	== Prevention Policies ==		== Prevention Policies ==
			Which policies could have prevented this event from happening?

	== References ==		== References ==
	[https://securelist.com/in-cryptoland-trust-can-be-costly/86367/ In cryptoland, trust can be costly \| Securelist] (Jan 16)		<references><ref name="securelist-5678">[https://securelist.com/in-cryptoland-trust-can-be-costly/86367/ In cryptoland, trust can be costly \| Securelist] (Jan 16, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeVvUD5pCkw The Sparkster Decentralized Cloud - YouTube] (Jan 18)		<ref name="youtube-5757">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeVvUD5pCkw The Sparkster Decentralized Cloud - YouTube] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://icoholder.com/en/sparkster-21737 Sparkster (SPARK) ICO Rating, Reviews and Details \| ICOholder] (Jan 18)		<ref name="icoholder-5758">[https://icoholder.com/en/sparkster-21737 Sparkster (SPARK) ICO Rating, Reviews and Details \| ICOholder] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://sparkster.me/ Sparkster \| No Code Platform and Decentralized Cloud] (Jan 18)		<ref name="sparkster-5759">[https://sparkster.me/ Sparkster \| No Code Platform and Decentralized Cloud] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqSpgQIDdk The Sparkster Platform: Sparkster Founder & CEO Sajjad Daya - YouTube] (Jan 18)		<ref name="youtube-5760">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqSpgQIDdk The Sparkster Platform: Sparkster Founder & CEO Sajjad Daya - YouTube] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://securelist.com/spam-and-phishing-in-q2-2018/87368/ Spam and phishing in Q2 2018 \| Securelist] (Jan 18)		<ref name="securelist-5761">[https://securelist.com/spam-and-phishing-in-q2-2018/87368/ Spam and phishing in Q2 2018 \| Securelist] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://cryptobriefing.com/sparkster-ico-landmark-uk-case/ ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster - Crypto Briefing] (Jan 18)		<ref name="cryptobriefing-5762">[https://cryptobriefing.com/sparkster-ico-landmark-uk-case/ ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster - Crypto Briefing] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster] (Jan 18)		<ref name="icobench-5763">[https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster https://icobench.com/ico/sparkster] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.quora.com/What-is-Sparkster-ICO What is Sparkster ICO? - Quora] (Jan 18)		<ref name="quora-5764">[https://www.quora.com/What-is-Sparkster-ICO What is Sparkster ICO? - Quora] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://ico-class-action.org/class-actions/sparkster Sparkster - ICO Class Action] (Jan 18)		<ref name="icoclassaction-5765">[https://ico-class-action.org/class-actions/sparkster Sparkster - ICO Class Action] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://cryptorank.io/ico/sparkster Sparkster ICO (Token Sale) Review And SPRK Token Analysis \| CryptoRank.io] (Jan 18)		<ref name="cryptorank-5766">[https://cryptorank.io/ico/sparkster Sparkster ICO (Token Sale) Review And SPRK Token Analysis \| CryptoRank.io] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://medium.com/sparkster/sparkster-a-project-of-firsts-in-crypto-ba2be536f153 Sparkster A Project Of Firsts In Crypto] (Jan 18)		<ref name="sparkstermedium-5767">[https://medium.com/sparkster/sparkster-a-project-of-firsts-in-crypto-ba2be536f153 Sparkster A Project Of Firsts In Crypto] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://hive.blog/sparkster/@martinrosi/sparkster-ico-concerns-and-opportunities-for-ico-investors Sparkster ICO: Concerns and Opportunities for ICO investors — Hive] (Jan 18)		<ref name="hiveblog-5768">[https://hive.blog/sparkster/@martinrosi/sparkster-ico-concerns-and-opportunities-for-ico-investors Sparkster ICO: Concerns and Opportunities for ICO investors — Hive] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5123118.0 Sparkster: ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster] (Jan 18)		<ref name="bitcointalk-5769">[https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5123118.0 Sparkster: ICO Investors Threaten Legal Action Against Sparkster] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster] (Jan 18)		<ref name="changedotorg-5770">[https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-fca-to-take-action-against-fraudulent-ico-project-sparkster] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.cryptognr.com/cyber-scammers-snatch-2-3m-from-crypto-investors/ Cyber Scammers Snatch $2.3m From Crypto Investors - Crypto GNR] (Jan 18)		<ref name="cryptognr-5771">[https://www.cryptognr.com/cyber-scammers-snatch-2-3m-from-crypto-investors/ Cyber Scammers Snatch $2.3m From Crypto Investors - Crypto GNR] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref>

	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jaZLt8c3M SPARKSTER ICO \| Crowd Sale Investors BEWARE! 66% BONUS FOR PRE SALE INVESTORS! - YouTube] (Jan 18)		<ref name="youtube-5772">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jaZLt8c3M SPARKSTER ICO \| Crowd Sale Investors BEWARE! 66% BONUS FOR PRE SALE INVESTORS! - YouTube] (Jan 18, 2022)</ref></references>