Unlike normal websites, there is a huge proliferation of fake cryptocurrency URLs for obvious reasons.
Cybercriminals are out there creating buzz and leveraging the brand’s popularity to siphon off users’ hard-earned money. In a recent incident, cybercriminals created a page ‘Amazon to create its own digital token’, leading users to give away their credentials. Akamai, a cyber security firm, reported that once its targets submit their credentials, they were led to well-designed and functional fake websites. The ultimate goal of the scam was to lead the users to a fake website with fake URLs. When big money is at stake, it is easy to fall prey to such manipulative tactics. Unlike normal websites, there is a huge proliferation of fake cryptocurrency URLs for obvious reasons. There are quite a few hacks like checking for, misspellings, secured websites, lock pad, and site seals, users should put cryptocurrency URLs through additional scrutiny. Here we discuss the procedure for Bitcoin, a popular cryptocurrency with one of the largest numbers of fake URLs.
Check the URL with cryptocurrency’s abuse database:
Bitcoin Abuse is a popular website with a public database of bitcoins addresses used by hackers and criminals. Here, you can check with the URL you have, report a fake URL, and monitor URLs reported by other users. The website displays information such as the number of times has been reported, the last report date and time, the total amount of bitcoin it has received, and the number of transactions. You can also find a link to Blockchain.info to track the transactions for the address and the reports filed on the address. Cross-checking URLs will save the users from Crypto scams such as crypto giveaways, which were a rage a few years ago.
Check ‘Scam Alert’ for confirmed scams:
It is another site, created by blockchain tracking and analytics provider Whale Alert, where you can check with a bitcoin address. As mentioned on their website, the website’s mission is to make blockchain safer to use for everyone exposing scammers and criminals who abuse it. Users can report scams, thefts, and fraudulent websites related to any cryptocurrency or blockchain. Users can check with the description of the scam, associated websites, the number of times it has been reported, and the lifetime earnings of the cryptocurrency in US dollars.