Beware of scam miner software

[joblo]

There have been a large number of scam miner programs being posted here recently.

They are always closed source and only avaiable as binary files for Windows.
Crypto miners are the vehicle for the malware because they are known to generate
false positives by AV scanners and inexperienced users ignore the alert thinking
it's just another false positive.

Their ANN post tries to look legitimate, often copying text word for word from other miners ANNs.
They may post change logs to make it look like they have a history.
They may create github repositories with no source code, sometimes even claiming to be open source
with fake links that Windows users would never test.

They often target other newbies with claims of being easier to use.

There are a few clues to detect them:

Always posted by a newbie user.

Always closed source with only Windows binaries avaiable to download.

Slick ANN post with sprinklings of technical info often copied from others.

Real devs have credentials that can be verified: posting history, other work, testimonials from
trusted users, etc.

There have been several of these malware posts in the last week.

Any offer from a newbie user, especially closed source, should be taken with a healthy dose of
skepticism.

Stay alert and stay safe.

[d57heinz]

There have been a large number of scam miner programs being posted here recently.

They are always closed source and only avaiable as binary files for Windows.
Crypto miners are the vehicle for the malware because they are known to generate
false positives by AV scanners and inexperienced users ignore the alert thinking
it's just another false positive.

Their ANN post tries to look legitimate, often copying text word for word from other miners ANNs.
They may post change logs to make it look like they have a history.
They may create github repositories with no source code, sometimes even claiming to be open source
with fake links that Windows users would never test.

They often target other newbies with claims of being easier to use.

There are a few clues to detect them:

Always posted by a newbie user.

Always closed source with only Windows binaries avaiable to download.

Slick ANN post with sprinklings of technical info often copied from others.

Real devs have credentials that can be verified: posting history, other work, testimonials from
trusted users, etc.

There have been several of these malware posts in the last week.

Any offer from a newbie user, especially closed source, should be taken with a healthy dose of
skepticism.

Stay alert and stay safe.

Thank you for this. Can’t be expressed enough here.  Seems to be a scammers paradise.  They have to know they are getting the attention of authorities.  Honestly I feel this would be the absolute dumbest place to post a virus.  Meh I guess it’s working or they wouldn’t keep it up.  Thanks again

BR
Doug

[Lafu]

@joblo

I have written a few weeks ago about this problem here on the Forum and when i see them i tagg them and report them !

But thanks for remind other and new Users about the problem .

It some massive problem in the last month. But i fighting against them every day .

Here my Thread about the Fake Anns and the Links behind the Wallets !

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5167236.msg51891741#msg51891741


You can also write them here if you find some of them here :

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4720640.0

[joblo]

@joblo

I have written a few weeks ago about this problem here on the Forum and when i see them i tagg them and report them !

Yes tagging them is important so unsuspecting users are warned, but it's a game of wack-a-mole.
Poop has been tagging also.

Thank you for your good work.

[P00P135]

They are so easy to spot its kind of pathetic.

[d57heinz]

They are so easy to spot its kind of pathetic.

Yes for some of us.  But we have to know there are some noobs that come here daily looking to get rich quick.  Boy are they in for a surprise. 

BR

[joblo]

They are so easy to spot its kind of pathetic.

Yes for some of us.  But we have to know there are some noobs that come here daily looking to get rich quick.  Boy are they in for a surprise. 

BR

Precisely why tagging the scam posts important and why I started this thread, security in depth, as they say.

Keeping this thread (or any similar warning) on the front page will help discourage the scammers.

[abudfv2008]

They are so easy to spot its kind of pathetic.

Yes for some of us.  But we have to know there are some noobs that come here daily looking to get rich quick.  Boy are they in for a surprise. 

BR

IMHO these scammers do some positive work. People should learn - and they mostly learn on their own mistakes.
Some people store coins on exchanges/web wallets - sooner or later they will learn not to do that.
Other people don't have backups/keys of their wallets - sooner or later they will learn not to do that.
Some other noobs use such obvious "steal you coins" miners - actually a quick way to learn.
It's a natural selection.

[Lafu]

But specialy New users that maybe invest a lot of money should know about that all, before they Lose it maybe all about of things like that, malware or trojan Software! Because if they Lose all they left the cryptoworld and getting Real trouble in real life too! Thats why i am doing that, that people and users aware of kind of this problems with malware and scammers, for sure you learn from misstakes but why waiting for let them running into the trap when we can tell them and they know things like that before!

[d57heinz]

They are so easy to spot its kind of pathetic.

Yes for some of us.  But we have to know there are some noobs that come here daily looking to get rich quick.  Boy are they in for a surprise. 

BR

IMHO these scammers do some positive work. People should learn - and they mostly learn on their own mistakes.
Some people store coins on exchanges/web wallets - sooner or later they will learn not to do that.
Other people don't have backups/keys of their wallets - sooner or later they will learn not to do that.
Some other noobs use such obvious "steal you coins" miners - actually a quick way to learn.
It's a natural selection.

I agree 100%.  Learning the hard way has its value. They also bring light to security issues.  If your natural selection theory held any merit we wouldn’t have prisons for people that did wrong.  We just say the victim deserved it as they needed a lesson. Hmmmm quite the conundrum.

Br
Doug

[atotex]

Thanks! Its cane to be realy dangerus if some use from bank credit and from this scamers cane to make dangerus situacion how to back credit to bank! Thank you for your time to help members.
 

[Saverenergy]

Thank you for information. But you need to always be careful, usually in the original topic of a certain popular miner there are a lot of messages and there is heated discussion, unlike malicious copies of branches. And download the distributions of miners from the developers github by clicking on the link in the original topic.

[Zemomtum]

This is invaluable information that must be digested properly. A lot of scams are going on in the crypto space any few are here for quick get reach project without intending to build or offer any service. We need to be very watchful

[joblo]

After a pause I've seen a couple in the past week. Stay alert.

[joblo]

It's time to revive this thread because the're back.

In an added twist they are plagiarizing me and posting malware pretending to be cpuminer-opt.

As always, be careful.

[Lafu]

If you find something you can post it here also in my thread https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5182222.0

Everyone is welcome to post in there if they find something like Malware or other Bad links.

So I and others can tagg them if needed.

[joblo]

The user who plagiarized me has been deleted. The user wo I called out and suspect of
retaliating against me is...

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5214465.0

[Lafu]

Softly pump !

So that other and new Users be aware and remembered of the kind Scam Software that sometimes here !

Watch out what you download and check it a few times before you doing it because it could be Malware or Trojan Software also !

[Herry Toms]

What do you think about xmr-stak-rx(free monero miner), do you think it is a scam? I'm mining monero and Loki from the last 1 month and it is going so smoothly. What is your opinion about this software?