Numerous government-owned websites have become a breeding ground for cryptocurrency scammers who use deceptive redirection links related to the popular crypto wallet, MetaMask, to deceive unsuspecting visitors.
MetaMask, being one of the most widely-used Ethereum software wallets, is frequently exploited by scammers as a bait to trick victims into compromising their crypto assets. Presently, the name “MetaMask” is appearing on government websites in countries such as India, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, Brazil, Vietnam, and more.
An investigation by Cointelegraph has uncovered several of these compromised sites, which can be seen below.
When users click on these links embedded within these websites, they are redirected to fake MetaMask websites that closely resemble the authentic Metamask.io. Security software, such as Microsoft Defender, promptly alerts visitors upon entry, cautioning them about the potential phishing site they are accessing.
These fraudulent websites often include prompts encouraging visitors to connect their MetaMask wallets to the site, effectively granting scammers unrestricted access to their cryptocurrency funds.
MetaMask’s security team has acknowledged that the rapid growth of Web3 technology has made it an attractive target for scammers and cybercriminals. In a statement provided to Cointelegraph, the wallet provider stated:
“We are incorporating certain heuristics, including metadata, indicators, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), from this ongoing campaign into our detection systems. Our aim is to proactively identify and thwart any future attacks as soon as they are initiated, with the goal of either preventing them from reaching users or, at the very least, reducing their impact to a minimum.”
MetaMask Fraudulent Schemes
MetaMask Promotes Reporting Scams and Advises Against Reusing Recovery Phrases for Compromised Wallets.
In May, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a cautionary alert concerning MetaMask phishing scams that were inundating users’ email accounts. These deceptive emails falsely asserted that users’ wallets had been restricted and urged them to urgently click on a link to update their wallet information and retrieve their assets.
In a related incident, MetaMask refuted allegations in April suggesting that its wallet software had suffered a direct breach, following the theft of approximately 5,000 ETH from multiple addresses across 11 distinct blockchains.
