Crypto scammers are shifting their operation from bitcoin to litecoin and other popular altcoins to avoid being detected.
A web security platform that specializes in detecting and preventing phishing scams, Cofense, released a report outlining a new crypto-based sextortion scam utilizing LTC. The report has it that the sextortion scam involves tricking users into believing their computer has been hacked, including their adult-search web history and webcam footage. They are then forced to pay a ransom in crypto in order to prevent the information from being released to the public.
According to Cofense, many of these operations target users from password breaches, giving more authenticity to the initial phishing email. Scammers are now being forced to shift away from accepting bitcoin to litecoin and other alts in order to avoid detection by email filters.
The report says:
Previous iterations showed a gradual shift away from identifiable patterns and to alternative crypto currencies, in an attempt to foil SEG bitcoin-detection rules. The current emails appear to be crafted to contain very few searchable word patterns.