TL;DR
- A sponsored link on Google, when searching for “Soneium,” can lead to a malicious site that drains crypto wallets.
- Scam Sniffer reports that affected users lose their funds after signing a fake application.
- More than $46 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen through these types of scams by September 2024.
A new report from Web3 security firm Scam Sniffer has put the crypto community on alert about a dangerous sponsored link on Google.
By searching for “Soneium,” a blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, users could be redirected to a malicious website that drains cryptocurrency from their digital wallets.
⚠️ Searched for Soneium on Google, clicked a phishing ad.
After connecting your wallet and signing a phishing signature, your assets disappeared… 😱💸 pic.twitter.com/5Hpi9OTZ4S— Scam Sniffer | Web3 Anti-Scam (@realScamSniffer) October 22, 2024
The problem is that a small typo when typing “Soneium,” such as “someium,” can lead victims to a fraudulent page that appears legitimate.
Scam Sniffer revealed in a statement that these sponsored ads on Google trick users into connecting their crypto wallets and signing a malicious application.
By signing this application, victims lose access to their funds immediately. The information, published by Scam Sniffer on its official X network account, highlights that cybercriminals employ advanced techniques to avoid detection by Google, allowing them to continue operating undetected until it is too late for victims.
This incident highlights just how sophisticated cryptocurrency scams have become. Scam Sniffer reported that in September 2024 alone, over $46 million worth of digital assets were stolen through similar phishing scams, with Ethereum (ETH) wallets being the primary target of these attacks.
This pattern has been observed in the past, when other criminals used domain names almost identical to those of legitimate platforms, causing users to not notice that they are entering a malicious site until it is too late.
The risks of sponsored ads
These types of attacks underscore the growing danger of sponsored ads on Google, especially in the crypto world. While Google tries to filter out these ads, scammers employ techniques to disguise their sites and hide their true intentions.
Scam Sniffer had previously warned about a wave of scams on Google Search, where attackers were buying domains similar to well-known crypto projects and tricking users by redirecting them to fraudulent sites.
In many cases, affected users do not realize that something is wrong until they have lost all their funds. Signing fake applications after connecting the wallet to one of these sites results in the complete loss of the stored cryptocurrencies.
For this reason, Scam Sniffer and other cybersecurity experts always recommend double-checking the URL of the sites you are accessing, as well as avoiding clicking on sponsored links without first confirming their legitimacy.
This recent attack, while isolated, could affect many more users if proper precautions are not taken. The crypto community must remain vigilant and continue to educate itself on security best practices, especially in a rapidly changing environment where attacks are becoming increasingly difficult to identify.
