Crypto users lost $4M in scams via phishing URLs and Google Ads

April 27, 2023

According to Web3 anti-scam service provider ScamSniffer, crypto scams through Google Ads and phishing URLs have been on the rise lately.

The URLs lead to fraudulent websites which eventually take the users’ data leading to illegal possession of their assets.

A number of DeFi protocols, websites, and brands, including Zapper.fi, Lido, Stargate, DefiLlama, Orbiter Finance, and Radiant, have been targeted by scammers.

A little tweak in the original website’s URL makes it impossible for the users to identify what’s fishy.

ScamSniffer’s database suggests that a whopping $4.16 million has been stolen from 3,039 victims through this method.

The number of phishing websites in issue has been connected to advertisers in Canada and Ukraine through the analysis of their metadata.

A report from Russian cybersecurity and anti-virus provider Kaspersky highlighted an increase in crypto-related phishing attacks through 2022, up 40% year on year.