Sophos Uncovers 'Breaking Bad'-Inspired Scam Targeting Cybercriminals
Security researchers at Sophos have uncovered a sophisticated scam targeting cybercriminals. Since August 2021, a scammer using the handle 'waltcranston', likely inspired by 'Breaking Bad', has been running fake criminal marketplaces that mimicked real underground sites.
The scammer, 'waltcranston', advertised these fake marketplaces on Reddit and replicated prominent or defunct marketplaces such as Benumb, UniCC, and PoisOn. The investigation led Sophos to a criminal forum called Café Dread, where they found a user named 'waltcranston'. Posts on Café Dread and similarities between 'waltcranston's' website and the fake marketplaces suggest 'waltcranston' is likely behind the scam.
The scam involved offering criminals a chance to activate an account on the fake marketplaces for $100, with no actual activation occurring. Seven of these fake sites remain active, with associated cryptocurrency wallets receiving at least $132,000. Sophos revealed details of over 20 such fake criminal marketplaces designed to scam cybercriminals.
The investigation highlights the potential for security researchers to leverage intelligence from scams against other scammers to strengthen defenses. Despite the scammer's attempt to mimic real criminal underground sites, their actions have been exposed, and the associated cryptocurrency wallets have been seized.
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