Crypto Scams of the Week: Coinbase Phishing and Switchere Ukraine

Header

Author: Trend Micro

August 22, 2022

This article is from Trend Micro.

This week we’ve found a further two cryptocurrency scams making the rounds. Read on for the low-down!

Coinbase SMS Phishing Scam

Coinbase is one of the biggest and best-known cryptocurrency exchange platforms — this makes it a prime target for scammers. Recently, users have reported receiving suspicious SMS text messages with a phishing link attached. If you follow the link, you’ll be asked to provide sensitive log-in credentials, and there’s a good chance they’ll be harvested and then sold on. Watch out!

Phishing webpage


Be on the lookout for URLS such as //mbcoin[.]info & //baseca[.]info — as well as the following SMS template:

“|coinbase alert|$2300 is pending withdrawal on your coinbase account reply yes to confirm , if you did not authorize this recover your account now baseca.info”


Switchere Ukraine Charitable Donations Scam

While not as big as Coinbase, Switchere is another notable crypto exchange website. When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February, Switchere began pledging 10% of proceeds to the Ukrainian government and related charities. They also posted links to crypto wallets for those wanted to donate to Ukraine.

To the dismay of all involved, scammers have unfortunately sought to profit from such charitable schemes. In the case of Switchere, users have reported receiving phishing emails disguised as coming from Switchere. The scammers copy and paste official text from Switchere, but with the aim of directing would-be victims to a malicious link, as seen below.

Phishing email

Note the strange email address — official emails from large companies will never look like this. For Switchere’s official Ukraine charitable donations page, follow this link.

To keep up to date with related threat reports, use the following links:


Protect Yourself with Trend Micro Check

  • Double-check people’s contact details — and URLs.
  • Reach out to official websites and support pages directly for help if in doubt.
  • NEVER use links or buttons from unknown sources! Use Trend Micro Check to detect scams with ease: Trend Micro Check is an all-in-one browser extension and mobile app for detecting scams, phishing attacks, malware, and dangerous links — and it’s FREE!
http://

After you’ve pinned the Trend Micro Check extension, it will block dangerous sites automatically! (Available on Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge).

http://

You can also download the Trend Micro Check mobile app for 24/7 automatic scam and spam detection and filtering. (Available for Android and iOS).

Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check.

Given you’ll be required to enter personal information on these kinds of platforms, ID Security will also ensure you’re never the victim of a data breach.

And as ever, if you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please do SHARE it with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected.

Source: pexels.com

Report a Scam!

Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!

Help & Info

Top Safety Picks

Your Go-To Tools for Online Safety
Disclaimer: Some of the links here are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

  1. ScamAdviser App - iOS : Your personal scam detector, on the go! Check website safety, report scams, and get instant alerts. Available on iOS
  2. ScamAdviser App - Android : Your personal scam detector, on the go! Check website safety, report scams, and get instant alerts. Available on Android.
  3. NordVPN : NordVPN keeps your connection private and secure whether you are at home, traveling, or streaming from another country. It protects your data, blocks unwanted ads and trackers, and helps you access your paid subscriptions anywhere. Try it Today!
  4. Incogni : Incogni automatically removes your personal data from data brokers that trade in personal information online, helping reduce scam and identity theft risks without the hassle of manual opt-outs. Reclaim your privacy now!

Popular Stories

As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu

How do I recover my crypto after it’s stolen? What happens if your crypto wallet is compromised? Can stolen crypto be traced, and can police actually recover crypto in 2026? These are the questions most people ask within minutes of realizing their wallet has been drained. Crypto theft is fast, quiet, and unforgiving. By the time most victims notice something is wrong, the funds are already moving across the blockchain. Once seen as a problem for exchanges and whales, crypto theft now heavily affects everyday investors. Phishing links, fake support chats, wallet approval scams, SIM swaps, and malware attacks have become common. Knowing what recovery realistically looks like—and what it doesn’t—can prevent panic, bad decisions, and costly follow-up scams. In a Nutshell Crypto recovery is possible, but only in limited situations Blockchain transactions are irreversible, but stolen crypto can still be traced Speed and documentation matter more than optimism Police and exchanges play a bigger role than private recovery services Guaranteed recovery offers are almost always scams Is it Actually Possible to Recover Stolen Crypto? Yes, crypto recovery is possible, but only under specific conditions and rarely through direct action by the victim. Blockchain transactions are final by design. Once crypto is sent and confirmed, it cannot be reversed. There is no central authority, no chargeback process, and no technical “undo” button, even if the transaction was clearly fraudulent. This is where many people ask whether stolen crypto can be traced. In most cases, it can. Every transaction