TLDR
- Hamster Kombat players are being targeted by phishing attacks using fake airdrops and other scams.
- Scammers are trying to steal login credentials, crypto wallet information, and in-game tokens.
- The game has grown rapidly, reaching over 239 million users in 81 days.
- Phishing attacks often involve promises of converting in-game coins to real money or free cryptocurrency.
- Cybersecurity experts warn that these scams may spread beyond Russian users to other regions.
Hamster Kombat, the fast-growing mobile game on Telegram, is now facing a new challenge: phishing attacks targeting its millions of players.
Cybersecurity experts have reported a rise in scams aimed at stealing user information and cryptocurrency.
The game, which launched just 81 days ago, has already attracted over 239 million users. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, says Hamster Kombat is gaining 4 to 5 million new users every day.
This rapid growth has made the game an attractive target for scammers.
Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky, a cybersecurity firm, explained some of the methods scammers are using. One common trick involves fake promises to convert in-game coins to real money, specifically Russian rubles.
Players are sent links that ask for their Telegram login information. When users enter their details, scammers can take over their accounts.
“Once credentials are entered, attackers gain access to personal accounts, enabling them to steal data, blackmail, and send fraudulent messages,” Svistunova told Cointelegraph.
Another popular scam involves fake cryptocurrency airdrops. Scammers create websites that claim to offer free Hamster cryptocurrency or discounted coins. These sites are designed to trick users into giving away access to their crypto wallets.
The rise in these scams comes as Hamster Kombat prepares to launch its own cryptocurrency. The game’s HMSTR token is already available for pre-market trading on Bybit, a cryptocurrency exchange.
This upcoming launch has created more opportunities for scammers to trick eager players.
Phishing attacks are not new in the crypto world. ScamSniffer, a blockchain security firm, reports that victims lost $314 million to phishing attacks across all EVM chains in the first half of 2024. This amount is already more than the total stolen in all of 2023.
Currently, most of the Hamster Kombat scams seem to target Russian players. However, experts warn that these attacks could soon spread to other countries where the game is popular, such as the Philippines and Nigeria.
The game itself has faced some technical issues recently. On July 15, some users couldn’t log in to the app. The Hamster Kombat team has since fixed these problems, and the game is now working normally.
As Hamster Kombat continues to grow, it’s likely that scammers will keep trying to take advantage of its popularity.
The game’s huge user base and upcoming cryptocurrency launch make it an appealing target for those looking to steal information or money.
