Reddit Ads Impersonate BBC and The Guardian to Push Fake AI Investment Schemes (bitdefender.com) 34
A "growing wave" of Reddit's "promoted posts" are sending U.S. and European audiences to money-stealing scams that impersonate major news organizations including the BBC, the Financial Times, and The Guardian, according to new findings from Bitdefender Labs.
"Domains are short-lived and rapidly rotated to evade detection," they write, noting that the impersonating sites apparently even use language "to falsely imply that the investment platform had been reviewed, approved, or vetted" by the legitimate site they're impersonating: The campaign promotes fake AI-powered investment platforms such as Wencoin STX, Warrior Coin AI, and Nevo Coin, using fabricated celebrity endorsements, cloned news websites, fake interviews, and invented financial success stories to lure victims into depositing money. Researchers Andrea Olariu and Emanuel Puscasu have identified multiple promoted Reddit posts masquerading as legitimate financial or breaking news stories.
Some ads claimed that:
— NVIDIA and OpenAI were "creating the future"
— Heathrow police discovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash
— Governments and banks were allegedly trying to "hide" a revolutionary AI investment platform
— European regulators were "silencing" articles about AI trading systems
Some Reddit ads delivered in video format, including what appeared to be a deepfake BBC news segment featuring a news anchor presenting fabricated financial headlines... Examples observed by researchers included:
— Fake BBC pages discussing "$20 billion conversations" tied to AI investments
— Fraudulent Financial Times articles about Heathrow airport cash seizures
— Fake Guardian stories claiming governments were trying to suppress coverage of Wencoin STX or Nevo Coin
The pages featured fabricated interviews, fake profit screenshots, manipulated banking documents, false testimonials, and even fictional journalists or business editors designed to make the scam look legitimate. In many cases, the content sought to create a sense of exclusivity or conspiracy, suggesting that banks, regulators, or governments were trying to suppress public access to the investment platform...
Our researchers found that after users clicked links embedded within the fake Guardian articles, they were redirected to a registration form allegedly used to create a "Nevo Coin" investment account. The form requested personal contact information, including the victim's name, email address, and phone number. To increase pressure and encourage immediate action, the page warned that registration availability was limited, claiming that once all spots were filled, new user registrations would be suspended.
And in the final stage, they're asked to deposit money...
"Domains are short-lived and rapidly rotated to evade detection," they write, noting that the impersonating sites apparently even use language "to falsely imply that the investment platform had been reviewed, approved, or vetted" by the legitimate site they're impersonating: The campaign promotes fake AI-powered investment platforms such as Wencoin STX, Warrior Coin AI, and Nevo Coin, using fabricated celebrity endorsements, cloned news websites, fake interviews, and invented financial success stories to lure victims into depositing money. Researchers Andrea Olariu and Emanuel Puscasu have identified multiple promoted Reddit posts masquerading as legitimate financial or breaking news stories.
Some ads claimed that:
— NVIDIA and OpenAI were "creating the future"
— Heathrow police discovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash
— Governments and banks were allegedly trying to "hide" a revolutionary AI investment platform
— European regulators were "silencing" articles about AI trading systems
Some Reddit ads delivered in video format, including what appeared to be a deepfake BBC news segment featuring a news anchor presenting fabricated financial headlines... Examples observed by researchers included:
— Fake BBC pages discussing "$20 billion conversations" tied to AI investments
— Fraudulent Financial Times articles about Heathrow airport cash seizures
— Fake Guardian stories claiming governments were trying to suppress coverage of Wencoin STX or Nevo Coin
The pages featured fabricated interviews, fake profit screenshots, manipulated banking documents, false testimonials, and even fictional journalists or business editors designed to make the scam look legitimate. In many cases, the content sought to create a sense of exclusivity or conspiracy, suggesting that banks, regulators, or governments were trying to suppress public access to the investment platform...
Our researchers found that after users clicked links embedded within the fake Guardian articles, they were redirected to a registration form allegedly used to create a "Nevo Coin" investment account. The form requested personal contact information, including the victim's name, email address, and phone number. To increase pressure and encourage immediate action, the page warned that registration availability was limited, claiming that once all spots were filled, new user registrations would be suspended.
And in the final stage, they're asked to deposit money...
Re:feedback (Score:5, Insightful)
When you speak of an "investing class" that tends to refer to individuals or organizations with large sums to throw around, and who make a profession out of it. Most of the people clicking on these ads are not going to be in that category.
They might fall for the same scam, though, and if it's been demonstrated to work on the big boys, it will probably work on grandma too.
Re: (Score:3)
Not the Investing class, but ordinary people with no financial acumen in a world of rapidly decreasing personal wealth and increasing job uncertainty are desperate enough to believe they are being offered a seat at the winners table. Desperation is the mother of many scams - and even a few revolutions.
Re: (Score:2)
Funny how everyone on here called this months ago.
Am I a bad person (Score:2)
Am I a bad person for somewhat enjoying the way crypto bros and AI bros seem to prey on each other. A fool and their money, and all of that.
It just seems like the worst people are all out to steal from each other. Fine, just leave my boomer parents out of it.
Re: (Score:3)
I do not think they are preying on each other, they are the same group, preying on retail investors and other bagholders.
Re:Am I a bad person (Score:4, Insightful)
Crypto Bros and AI Bros are not sitting around on Reddit. If you're talking joy in ordinary people being scammed then yes you probably are a bad person.
I fell for this one... (Score:5, Interesting)
I clicked on the link, which appeared to be a BBC story, and then filled in the form including my phone number for more information. Then I saw it was a scam and bailed. Now I get 2 or 3 phone calls from the scammers every day, all from local phone numbers, but all guys with Indian accents so they are spoofing the numbers. I always answer, never speak and just let them hang there a few minutes. The annoyance is that they will sell my number to other scammers so this phone number is probably blighted for life now.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Foreign scam callers get angry if you ask if their mother knows they steal for a living
Re: (Score:2)
Sorry I don't have moderator points for parent! +1 interesting
Re: (Score:2)
Foreign scam callers get angry if you ask if their mother knows they steal for a living
Not every culture places an emphasis on being honest and forthright... They probably feel just fine about it as long as they can't be held to blame because in some cultures being seen not to be at fault is far more important than almost anything else. If you get a lot of foreign scam calls who you really need to be angry at are the telco's who make money off it and the politicians who allow the former to happen because these are the people who have the power to stop it. They just don't want to. You'll alwa
Re: (Score:2)
Whenever (less and less, a few times a year nowadays) I get a call that my Windows machine is having a problem, I go: "yeah, right, I noticed, I'm happy you're contacting me to help - you know, I have to order flowers for my mom,... Do you get your parents something when you visit? And do they know what you do for the money to afford that?"
It's at that point that they either start shouting or hang up. Either way, it's mission accomplished for me.
Google Ads (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
I sometimes wonder if we are going to see the bottom fall out of the ad industry as a new generation grows up expecting ads to be ignorable garbage.
Re: Google Ads (Score:2)
Some of the adults in the room have been doing this for decades, anyway.
Growing up a latchkey kid, I've become desensitized to online ads.
There's some stupid ones lately that pop up while I play games. The Tai Chi walking ones. They sounded way too good to be true, so I actually found some real videos on YouTube describing what it can and can't do for your health.
My rules concerning ads (Score:4, Interesting)
One of my rules, which I passed onto my children, is to NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING an advertisement has to say and assume they are ALL SCAMS. Another one of my rules, which again my children posses, is to NEVER use the Internet without ad-blocking protection. Lastly, never, Ever, EVER, click a link contained in an email you received no matter the riches it may promise or how reputable the source may appear. I encourage everyone to pass these rules onto others.
Re: (Score:3)
You mean this ancient herbal medicine isn't going to make my manhood bigger? /joke
A good rule to auger your list is:
If it's too good to be true, it's definitely not true (or a scam).
Re: (Score:2)
They don't even promise riches anymore, they promise that "There was a problem delivering your Amazon order". Much more believable, at first glance. Luckily I don't use Amazon so that particular one never enticed me.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: My rules concerning ads (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That's all good and fine when you can tell an advert from a real post, and when you can tell a news article from a fake.
Re: (Score:2)
Treat nothing as real and trust nothing that comes from the Internet. Nuke it all, it's the only way to be sure.
Why are people still seeing ads?! (Score:1)
It's 2026, people. You still haven't switched to Firefox and uBlock Origin? What the fuck is it going to take!?!
Re:Why are people still seeing ads?! (Score:4, Insightful)
The majority of the population is not steeped in tech culture. Knowing about ublock is a bit like knowing which fork you are supposed to use.. a good way of signaling your membership in a particular subculture, but not something most people know since they have their own subcultures to signal.
Re: (Score:2)
Seeing ads (Score:5, Insightful)
This is slashdot. Who here isn't using any form of ad blocking?
Re:Seeing ads (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyone still without adblocker? (Score:2)
They are self-defense.
Felony Fraud (Score:2)
Felony Fraud... it's gotten ridiculously common and LE does nothing. I learned a long time ago that people who switch price tags are charged with fraud (least where I am and ..no it wasn't personal experience). It's literally better if they steal it outright as a first offense is just a misdemeanor. I'm not trying to excuse the behavior but it makes me sick that we slap a felony on poor people for a fairly small first offense, but ignore companies and the executives that commit it daily.
From my understand
Meta (Score:2)
At least the Meta AI, wh