Tiny 3GP videos are costing a lot of money.
Fraudsters have found a new and very unusual way to promote Bitcoin schemes - through the outdated multimedia messaging standard (MMS). Proofpoint specialists have identified a campaign in which attackers use 3GP video files to lure victims to fake investment platforms.
MMS as a method of delivering phishing messages has almost been forgotten, since modern users prefer instant messengers and RCS. However, its rarity played into the hands of scammers: having received such a message, most users will open it simply out of curiosity. According to Proofpoint, 99% of mobile messages are viewed, and 90% are read within the first three minutes after receiving.
The attack, dubbed VidSpam, is based on small videos of only 14 kilobytes in size. The video does not contain animation - it is just a picture with a "Play" button. After clicking, a short, two-second video starts, which shows a static image. Most often, these are photos of people who have allegedly achieved “success” in cryptocurrency investments, fake awards and promises of high profits.
The text of the message contains a link to a fake forum where the victim is invited to join an investment group in WhatsApp. There, the scammers use aggressive persuasion methods, offering “guaranteed” ways to earn money. They create the appearance of successful transactions, show fake reviews and create urgency, forcing users to invest money.
As a result of such scams, it is almost impossible to return lost funds - after the first transaction, the scammers can block the user or continue to extract money, promising a quick income, which in fact will not happen.
The choice of the 3GP format in the considered campaign is explained by its small size and compatibility with most mobile devices. In addition, the video format allows scammers to easily bypass content security filters, which are more often focused on text or graphic threats.
Experts advise disabling MMS support on smartphones if it is not used. Additionally, you can clear the MMSC, MMS Proxy and MMS Port fields in the mobile network settings to exclude the possibility of receiving them.
Also, do not follow unknown links or download files from suspicious messages. Any offers of attachments via messengers, SMS or MMS require maximum caution, because this is one of the most common tools of scammers.
Fraudsters have found a new and very unusual way to promote Bitcoin schemes - through the outdated multimedia messaging standard (MMS). Proofpoint specialists have identified a campaign in which attackers use 3GP video files to lure victims to fake investment platforms.
MMS as a method of delivering phishing messages has almost been forgotten, since modern users prefer instant messengers and RCS. However, its rarity played into the hands of scammers: having received such a message, most users will open it simply out of curiosity. According to Proofpoint, 99% of mobile messages are viewed, and 90% are read within the first three minutes after receiving.
The attack, dubbed VidSpam, is based on small videos of only 14 kilobytes in size. The video does not contain animation - it is just a picture with a "Play" button. After clicking, a short, two-second video starts, which shows a static image. Most often, these are photos of people who have allegedly achieved “success” in cryptocurrency investments, fake awards and promises of high profits.
The text of the message contains a link to a fake forum where the victim is invited to join an investment group in WhatsApp. There, the scammers use aggressive persuasion methods, offering “guaranteed” ways to earn money. They create the appearance of successful transactions, show fake reviews and create urgency, forcing users to invest money.
As a result of such scams, it is almost impossible to return lost funds - after the first transaction, the scammers can block the user or continue to extract money, promising a quick income, which in fact will not happen.
The choice of the 3GP format in the considered campaign is explained by its small size and compatibility with most mobile devices. In addition, the video format allows scammers to easily bypass content security filters, which are more often focused on text or graphic threats.
Experts advise disabling MMS support on smartphones if it is not used. Additionally, you can clear the MMSC, MMS Proxy and MMS Port fields in the mobile network settings to exclude the possibility of receiving them.
Also, do not follow unknown links or download files from suspicious messages. Any offers of attachments via messengers, SMS or MMS require maximum caution, because this is one of the most common tools of scammers.
