{"id":44844,"date":"2022-07-14T06:00:57","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T10:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=44844"},"modified":"2022-08-02T05:59:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-02T09:59:45","slug":"nvidia-giveaway-bitcoin-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/nvidia-giveaway-bitcoin-scam\/44844\/","title":{"rendered":"Raining bitcoin: Fake Nvidia giveaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online fraudsters are continuing to use the names of famous people and companies to scam cryptocurrency users. This time the scammers are exploiting the brand name Nvidia, the US developer of GPUs that are particularly popular among crypto enthusiasts. Many devices for cryptocurrency mining<\/a> were created on the basis of their GPUs. Next year Nvidia turns 30, and it\u2019s common practice for companies to celebrate round-number anniversaries. The scammers took advantage of this by arranging fake cryptocurrency giveaways.<\/p>\n

Unheard-of generosity<\/h2>\n

The fraudsters created a fake website supposedly dedicated to Nvidia\u2019s 30th anniversary, and announced a large bitcoin giveaway there. On the splash screen of the fake website visitors see the company logo (albeit purple, not the usual green) and the name of its CEO, Jensen Huang. Visitors are asked here to \u201cselect a category\u201d to take part in the \u201cevent\u201d. In fact, there\u2019s nothing to choose from: under the invitation there\u2019s only a single big button with the words \u201cBitcoin giveaway\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Splash<\/a>

Splash screen of the fake Nvidia website<\/p><\/div>\n

After clicking the button, the user is taken to a page with detailed information about the mythical giveaway. At first glance the page looks convincing: there\u2019s a photo of the CEO and additional menu sections, all nicely designed. But instead of the Nvidia logo there\u2019s a Bitcoin icon, plus numerous grammatical errors in the text \u2014 something a serious company wouldn\u2019t permit.<\/p>\n

Here, purportedly on behalf of Mr. Huang and Nvidia, the cybercriminals announce a giveaway of 50,000 BTC (worth more than a billion US dollars at the time of writing). One of the main conditions for taking part is that users themselves must first make a contribution, like buying a lottery ticket. The scammers promise that the participant will immediately get double their money back, not to mention the prospect of winning the 50,000 BTC.<\/p>\n

The address of the cryptowallet to which they should make a transfer is given in the instructions for participants. And at the very bottom of the page is an online broadcast of the \u201cwinnings\u201d paid out by the organizers.<\/p>\n

<\/p>

<\/a>

Fake website page with information about the \u201cgiveaway\u201d<\/p><\/div>
\nTo reinforce the impression of a legitimate website, the scammers set up a fake Nvidia support chat. It\u2019s not clear who responds to users\u2019 messages \u2014 the criminals themselves or a robot.\n

\"Fake<\/a>

Fake support chat on the website<\/p><\/div>\n

Curiously, if you enter the address of the scammers\u2019 cryptowallet on blockchain.com<\/a>, it turns out that some money has actually been transferred thereto \u2014 a total of 0.42 BTC (worth more than $8000 at the time of writing). It\u2019s unknown who sent the funds: it could be victims or the scammers themselves, for example, to check if the wallet is working or to pretend to be \u201clottery\u201d participants. In any case, there\u2019s no trace of the reported 50,000 BTC, and no hint of double-your-money paybacks.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The scammers\u2019 cryptowallet<\/p><\/div>\n

If it\u2019s good enough for Elon!\u2026<\/h2>\n

Cryptocurrency scams in which fraudsters use the names of celebrities or well-known brands are quite common and embody varying degrees of sophistication. For example, scammers have tried to lure Twitter users to fake cryptocurrency handouts masquerading as Elon Musk, Bill Gates or Pavel Durov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More complex schemes involve fake-news websites with stories of famous people who supposedly got even richer than they already are by investing in cryptocurrency<\/a> in a certain way. Those wishing to emulate their success followed links to fake websites about cryptocurrency investments. There, victims were persuaded to deposit a certain amount of money into the cybercriminals\u2019 account, and when they did they had their personal data stolen.<\/p>\n

How to protect yourself?<\/h2>\n

It can be really hard to resist a tempting offer. To avoid unpleasant situations, we recommend you keep some simple safety rules in mind:<\/p>\n