Cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky Lab have unveiled details of a novel scam designed to circumvent standard email protection against phishing links. This information was shared regarding a new fraudulent scheme targeting email users.
The scheme reportedly involves scammers sending victims an email containing a Telegram username. The email prompts the recipient to contact this user to discover «information specifically found for them.» The provided username links to a bot controlled by the fraudsters. This bot then redirects the user to a fake website, which imitates a popular online marketplace. On the fraudulent site, victims are lured with the promise of participating in a «promotion» or winning a «prize,» which they are told can only be claimed after paying a «commission» or fee.
«This complex scheme is likely employed to evade detection,» explained a Kaspersky expert. «Security solutions are generally effective at blocking emails containing direct links to scam sites. However, in this instance, there is no direct link. Instead, the attackers rely on the recipient`s curiosity to manually seek out the Telegram user, thus bypassing initial email filters and drawing them into the trap.»
