Phishing scammers targeting MtGox clients trying to recoup funds

Posted On 09 Jun 2016

Tag: Bitcoin recovery claims, Cyren, Kraken, MtGox clients, Mtgox creditors, Phishing, Recoup funds, Scammers

Scammers have set their sights on MtGox customers who are hoping to retrieve lost funds from the defunct bitcoin exchange, reported The Register.

The publication said researchers at computer security firm Cyren have found a series of spam messages purporting to originate from Kraken, the global digital asset exchange helping with the MtGox investigation and liquidation.

The messages redirect clients to a Google Docs page claiming to have updates on the status of bitcoin recovery claims. But the document is in fact an executable file that sends a Windows Trojan, which, Cyren said, then searches for any local bitcoin wallets it can loot, reported The Register.

As of late May, all claims filed by MtGox creditors have had their status determined. Clients looking to recoup funds can visit a dedicated portal to check their claim status.

Image credit – Public domain image by Satoshi (Source)

About the Author

Katherine Fletcher is a writer and editor based in London, Ontario, Canada. With a graduate degree in journalism, Katherine spent more than five years curating news on Canadian higher education for a marketing consultancy. Her interest in reporting on Bitcoin stems from her belief that digital currency is, and will continue to be, a disruptor in how we conceive modern currency.