At DIFX, we value the security of your funds and that’s why we take extreme measures to keep your assets safe by offering fully-insured wallets. However, as a user, you can always improve the security of your assets as well.
The first step is to familiarize yourself with the common practices and attacks used by scammers in the crypto space. In this way, you’ll be able to recognize scams or malicious applications, and won’t fall a victim to their traps.
Here’s a list of common attacks you should be aware of:
Phishing is one of the most commonly used techniques in the crypto industry and comes in different forms. In general, the attacker tries to steal your sensitive information (e.g. credentials, credit card information, private keys, etc) by posing themselves as a legitimate business, a famous figure, or your friends and family members.
Email Spoofing and Typosquatting are two good examples of phishing attacks:
The attacker tries to convince you that the email is sent by a specific person or organization you may know.
These emails provide you with a link and try to inject a feeling of urgency like “your crypto account was hacked, change your password now!” to make you react immediately.
The link will direct you to a malicious website or page that may look exactly like the original website asking for your personal information. By submitting your information, you’ll send them directly to the attacker!
This approach takes advantage of users that mistype a URL address. For example, an attacker may use the “IDFX.com” domain to target any user that mistypes DIFX.com, the original address of DIFX Exchange. The attacker will then have access to any information that you provide on the fake website or try to install malicious applications on your computer (See “Malicious Applications” section).
If you take a look at crypto-related pages on Twitter or Facebook, you may come across many giveaway messages that promise to 10x your investment. All you need to do is just send them a little crypto!
You may even receive a DM from a well-known figure in the crypto space calling you a lucky one and promising you insane profits!
In reality, no true giveaway campaign will ask you to send them money or crypto first and Michael Saylor will not personally message you to manage your crypto assets for you. Just ignore these messages and you’ll be fine.
You can always check the official website or social media accounts (pay attention to the handle) to make sure that the giveaway campaign is legit. At DIFX, we always promote our giveaway campaigns on our Twitter, Medium, and Instagram accounts, so stay tuned!
As a digital form of money, cryptocurrencies are targeted by many malicious applications. Let’s go through some of them together: