Reportedly, scammers have used the Coinbase domain name in high-profile attacks.
Coinbase’s users have been using Twitter to report scams and phishing attacks related to the company’s services and applications in recent weeks. Some users have claimed that scammers are using the Coinbase.com domain name to carry out these fraudulent activities.
On July 7, a Twitter user named Daniel Mason disclosed the most recent case, stating that he received texts and emails from scammers with links under the domain Coinbase.com.
The fraudster contacted Mason using a real phone number and then sent an email from a Coinbase.com domain. After that, Mason received a phishing text message directing him to a Coinbase subdomain URL. The scammer then proceeded to verify Mason’s address, social security number, and driver’s license number.
I founded an identity/security company. I’m currently building an auth company. But my Coinbase account *almost* got phished. This is the (2nd) most legit fraud attack I’ve ever experienced personally. Wild story below.
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— Daniel Mason (SF next week) (@dgmason) July 7, 2023
As Mason mentioned, the scammer was articulate and a native English speaker. During a phone call, the fraudster informed Mason that he would receive an email from Coinbase regarding a breach of his account. True to the scammer’s words, an email arrived from [email protected]. Mason commented on Twitter, questioning whether the scammer created a case on his behalf or accessed Coinbase’s mail servers.
Mason’s experience is just one of many security incidents involving the crypto exchange that have been reported on social media. Coinbase’s support page also shows users complaining about various types of scams, including phishing on Coinbase Wallet and criminals using the company’s web address.
Cointelegraph interviewed a victim of a similar approach, who chose to remain anonymous. The victim claims to have called Coinbase’s support line to verify the authenticity of an email stating that their account had been compromised. The Coinbase employee confirmed the communication was genuine, but it turned out to be the work of a hacker.
“An employee of Coinbase authenticated a hacker as a Coinbase employee, who then stole my crypto. They then led me on before taking no responsibility, despite my witness, call details, and the employee I spoke to,” said the victim. The case is now in litigation, with the victim claiming to have lost approximately $50,000 in assets.
These reports follow a similar pattern to the attack on Twitter user Jacob Canfield. Canfield also received text messages and phone calls from a fraudster, claiming that there was a change in his two-factor authentication (2FA).
Holy shit. I just got attacked with one of the most complex scams in #crypto that I have seen to date. Please read if you use @coinbase. This just happened 15 minutes ago. THIS IS A WARNING FOR ALL COINBASE USERS! There has been some sort of a data breach. First, I… pic.twitter.com/aOVWLpAtY4
— Jacob Canfield (@JacobCanfield) June 13, 2023
“They then transferred me to the ‘security’ team to verify my account and avoid a 48-hour suspension. They had my name, email, and location and sent a ‘verification code’ email from [email protected] to my personal email,” explained Canfield. The criminal got angry and hung up when told that the code would not be sent.
The email [email protected] is listed as a reliable and official address on Coinbase’s support page. The company’s blog also states that its staff will never ask users for passwords or two-step verification codes and will not request remote access to devices.
In a statement to Cointelegraph, Coinbase mentioned that it has extensive security resources dedicated to educating customers about preventing phishing attacks and scams. The company also collaborates with international law enforcement agencies to ensure that anyone scamming Coinbase customers is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Security specialists recommend using strong, unique passwords for crypto accounts and enabling two-factor authentication on applications.
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