In a startling revelation, the blockchain security firm Scam Sniffer has uncovered a sophisticated phishing scam linked to Soneium, a project associated with Sony’s blockchain initiative. In a post on X dated October 22, the firm reported that a misleading advertisement for the misspelled term “someium” appeared in Google search results, leading users to a fraudulent website specifically designed to compromise crypto wallets.
Scam Sniffer’s investigation into Soneium revealed this deceptive advertisement, warning users that phishing threats can emerge unexpectedly, even from seemingly innocent typographical errors like “someium.” Their team cautioned, “Searched for Soneium on Google, clicked a phishing ad,” highlighting the risks associated with minor mistakes in online searches.
Although Scam Sniffer could not locate the scam link within their search results, they documented the phishing site, which was hosted under a different domain suffix than Soneium’s official website. This fraudulent page masqueraded as a British radiology service, raising alarms about the growing sophistication of online scams.
The firm detailed that the creators of this malicious site employed specific tactics to evade detection by Google’s systems, complicating the identification of the threat until it was potentially too late. “It’s hard to see it unless you are targeted, and that’s why Google couldn’t know about it,” they explained.
To date, Google has not provided a response regarding the alleged phishing link, prompting concerns about how such hazardous advertisements can evade detection by search algorithms.
Earlier this month, Scam Sniffer reported that phishing scams had resulted in over $46 million in losses for approximately 10,800 victims in September alone. The third quarter of 2024 recorded over $127 million in stolen cryptocurrencies, primarily targeting Ether wallets.
In previous findings, Scam Sniffer highlighted that more than $4 million was swindled within a few weeks due to malicious phishing sites promoted through Google Search. Scammers often craft domain names that closely resemble legitimate crypto brands, complicating the ability of users to distinguish between safe and fraudulent links.
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