- Avast experts have warned users about scammers pretending to be Ukrainians and are asking for crypto donations.
- Binance CEO advised users to be wary of people claiming to personally know him.
- Ukraine’s official Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) posted the official wallets where people can send donations.
Experts have warned users of detected scammers pretending to be embattled Ukrainians and asking for crypto donations in social media.
While Ukraine continues to amass millions of donations in cryptocurrencies, dedicated teams of security experts from Avast in both Russia and Ukraine have been monitoring various channels for possible threats in the thick of the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
When the donations started pouring in for Ukraine, Avast experts discovered “a number of scammers who are tricking people out of money by pretending they are Ukrainians in desperate need of financial help.”
In the past, they have spotted similar antics but for people “stuck while traveling or looking for love. However, they noticed that the detected scammers are far more different, saying:
These attackers do not operate ethically and will use any opportunity to get money out of people willing to help others in need. What’s suspicious is the immediate mention of Bitcoin, as well as the usernames that consist only of letters and numbers.
Although Avast stated that some posts were legitimate, some requests were vague and suspicious, citing an example from an underground Russian forum wherein the Bitcoin transaction fee is higher than the requested amount.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao also instructed users to protect themselves from these scams, tweeting:
If anyone posts a pic of them and me, claiming to know me or have our support/partnership, etc. Treat them as scammers.I happily take photos with anyone at conferences, on the street, etc. I don’t know who is a scammer or not.
Learn to protect yourself.
— CZ Binance (@cz_binance) February 28, 2022
Furthermore, the security experts from Avast also advised users to be wary of similar cons spreading on TikTok and other social media platforms.
In related news, the verified Twitter account of Ukraine has already posted the official channels where people could send their crypto donations. The wallets support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT.