Bitcoin Fraudsters attacking Skype Users: Kaspersky

Kaspersky Lab experts have detected two malicious attacks operating on Skype. Through these attacks, cybercriminals are using social engineering methods to attract users to follow a malicious link with an interesting photo or video. These hacked or specially created Skype accounts are used to distribute the malicious links in both campaigns by generating  the Bitcoin virtual currency.  
 
The first attack was launched with a malicious link with a keyword "Bitcoin wallet". Those users clicking the links were primarily in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, China, Taiwan and Italy. On April 4, another similar attack was detected where users were asked to follow a link.  
 
Sergey Lozhkin , Kaspersky Lab expert, said, "The Bitcoin currency transactions system itself implies full anonymity and that is why cybercriminals started using it so actively. Underground forums are full of offers to buy and sell with Bitcoins. Drugs, arms, 0-day exploits, Trojans and viruses are bought and sold using the currency. Anonymous transactions are very hard to track and with so many currency exchange services – both legal and underground – it is easy to lose track of the details with nobody any the wiser. The Bitcoin architecture implies that more of them exist more hardware resources are needed to mine. That is why we are seeing malware that installs a Bitcoin miner module on victim computers, using their resources to mine Bitcoins and create a Bitcoin-mining botnet that could be quite a good source of income for its owner"”
 
Kaspersky Lab has recommended the Skype users to treat any messages coming into their account cautiously. Kaspersky Lab’s products detect the malicious programs used in both attacks.