Kobe Bryant's death has been used for scamming.

[Lorence.xD]

Everything is possible for hackers to do anything. This malware is an example. Even simple wallpaper pictures contains malware inside it. My first time to know about this since I am only aware of those apps containing malwares.

It is very important to know where those can be downloaded so we can be aware and prevent to visit and download such pictures. But regardless of the source or website, if we have crypto coins in our wallets, it is still "best" not to download anything for the sake of our funds. Safety and secured account is morr significant.

The location or link of the pictures should be known so that people can be warned early. One thing about this worm though is that it is an impressive work for those hackers to create a way to exploit unsuspecting people. We should create a info board that details different scams kind of like archive but scams only, I think that will help many websurfers so that they do not fall victims in case they encounter a different scam with similar scheme. Regarding the places where people download things is pretty faulty in my opinion because most of the time some legitimate sources can have bad apples in disguise.

[jademaxsuy]

I hope my PC is not hacked, I love Kobe, I'm his fan and I download a picture of him as my deskstop wallpaper and I also do the same with my phone.

Look.



So far, I don't feel anything strange with my PC, I think I'm safe, and I am not too worry about downloading as most of my important files and information are stored in a dedicated computer for crypto alone.

Scammers and hackers are very smart, they are using every opportunity they can find just to steal from us, so we should be aware of that and what we should do is to prevent that from happening to us, and that's the reason why we make such good control of our relevant information.

LOL, just because the picture of Kobe were being used for scamming doesn't mean that all of the pictures of Kobe are having this hacking program. Besides, the hacking program is still under ongoing investigation and still not proven to be real. Well just wait for OP to update this new hacking Scheme. I do not think why the death of a certain basketball superstar would become an issue suddenly because of this hacking incident. Pretty sure if there are really event that happen as what stated then someone will get held liable to it after getting caught.

[serjent05]

I think this is more of hijacking than scamming, and it is normal for hackers to do any means to do their hacking activities and this time, they saw an opportunity of exploiting the death of a famous NBA player to do their illegal activities.  I wonder if the file is a jpg format or an exe.  Haven't heard a case about a .jpg extension carrying a malware and this would be my first time to hear it.

[Cryptoreflector_666]

I have seen an article that talks about the death of the legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant which has been used for scamming people.

Hackers are attempting to profit from the death of Kobe Bryant by hiding malware within downloadable pictures of the basketball legend.

Researchers at Microsoft Security Intelligence discovered that a desktop wallpaper of Bryant contained hidden software that secretly hijacked a person’s computer in order to mine cryptocurrency.

They called it as crytojacking worm. As expcted, scammers uses this opportunity to take advantage for scamming people. The growing trend has been found within images of various celebrities in recent months, often in the form of wallpapers that can be downloaded to a person’s desktop or smartphone.
Cryptojacking software was recently discovered within high-resolution images of musician Taylor Swift ad the actress Scarlett Johansson.
Cyber security firm Sonicwall registered over 50 million cryptojacking attacks in the first half of 2019, typically in the form of social engineering or other online scams similar to the Bryant malware.
Sonicwall said cryptojacking techniques were evolving but that it remained “relevant as a lucrative option for cyber criminals”.

“We found a malicious HTML file posing as a Kobe Bryant wallpaper that contains a coin mining script.”

Here is the source.

Well, that's not news in 2020. It has long been known that hackers are the smartest people on the planet and their minds are focused on personal material enrichment. I think this is a problem specifically for the people themselves and their inner egoistic center. To get rid of such cases, install antivirus SOFTWARE and do not download any garbage from the Internet to your personal computers and laptops.

[KrisAlex18]

The act was a combination of hacking and scamming. Scamming in a sense because they are using the image of Kobe Bryant to attract people on downloading the wallpaper that contains crytojacking worms which is a knowledge used for hacking. Scammers and hackers are really up into innovated strategies to lure people just to get their goal of getting other people's important details to be able to get their money. It just clearly states how those two crimes are now being fused by such group of people to execute crimes which they do for the sake of their own selves.

This is really alarming in a sense that you being a fan of a famous personality could be victimized by this act since the goal of scamming might be caught on act but the hacking that is hidden on the wallpapers are hard to be discovered. This calls for every people to keep themselves safe at all times not to easily patronize items coming from online because those might serve as a front act just for the scammers and hackers be able to gain access on your device and get what they want. Basically do not install nor download anything coming from an unknown sources to avoid this to happen and secure your device by installing anti virus so that once it comes into your device, you can be able to get rid of it. But still prevention is better than cure.

[DeathAngel]

Hackers have existed since the internet began, it’s nothing new. It makes me annoyed that the media report these things as if it’s exclusive to bitcoin. Fraud & scams have existed for probably hundreds of years since anything of monetary value was introduced.

[bitbunnny]

Hackers have existed since the internet began, it’s nothing new. It makes me annoyed that the media report these things as if it’s exclusive to bitcoin. Fraud & scams have existed for probably hundreds of years since anything of monetary value was introduced.

That is true but for most people Bitcoin is still something new and unknown and.they can easy be convinced that scams in virtual world is caused by or for Bitcoin. Unfortunately, scamers don't choose the methods they use, their only care how to get the money from naive people and so far they are doing very well. And internet and virtual space as well as cryptocurrencies make their job much easier, we have to admit that.

[BChydro]

So far, I don't feel anything strange with my PC, I think I'm safe, and I am not too worry about downloading as most of my important files and information are stored in a dedicated computer for crypto alone.

If you are having good antivirus software and other tools then there is nothing much to worry if you are storing all your sensitive information on a dedicated computer that is not attached to an internet connection.

Scammers and hackers are very smart, they are using every opportunity they can find just to steal from us, so we should be aware of that and what we should do is to prevent that from happening to us, and that's the reason why we make such good control of our relevant information.

If you are careful with the websites you visit and the contents you download then these scammers and hackers cannot do anything. All you have to do is to be smart when online and everything will be fine.

[famososMuertos]

Really these people only look at opportunities, they are criminals and they have chosen that path as a profession.

These types of situations always seek to take advantage of special circumstances to apply social engineering. Many forget and don't even believe that a simple click on a link can be so damaging.

[audaciousbeing]

I have seen an article that talks about the death of the legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant which has been used for scamming people.

Hackers are attempting to profit from the death of Kobe Bryant by hiding malware within downloadable pictures of the basketball legend.

Researchers at Microsoft Security Intelligence discovered that a desktop wallpaper of Bryant contained hidden software that secretly hijacked a person’s computer in order to mine cryptocurrency.

They called it as crytojacking worm. As expcted, scammers uses this opportunity to take advantage for scamming people. The growing trend has been found within images of various celebrities in recent months, often in the form of wallpapers that can be downloaded to a person’s desktop or smartphone.
Cryptojacking software was recently discovered within high-resolution images of musician Taylor Swift ad the actress Scarlett Johansson.
Cyber security firm Sonicwall registered over 50 million cryptojacking attacks in the first half of 2019, typically in the form of social engineering or other online scams similar to the Bryant malware.
Sonicwall said cryptojacking techniques were evolving but that it remained “relevant as a lucrative option for cyber criminals”.

“We found a malicious HTML file posing as a Kobe Bryant wallpaper that contains a coin mining script.”

Here is the source.

With the high number of cases that has been witnessed, its then safe to say its really not about Kobe Bryant rather its about the people who are using celebrities images to achieve their own selfish interest. I am sure that if there is another celebrity or event that would mean people downloading some huge amount of images across the web, they will still find a way to ensure that the malicious software is embedded in such. This is further a call to everyone to be weary of trends happening across the globe as that is the machinery they use in carrying out their own activities.

[Kong Hey Pakboy]

Really these people only look at opportunities, they are criminals and they have chosen that path as a profession.

These types of situations always seek to take advantage of special circumstances to apply social engineering. Many forget and don't even believe that a simple click on a link can be so damaging.

As everyone says "think before you click" because not everything in the internet is safe and secured, and unsecured sites are one of the ways to traced and hacked your accounts. Scammers and hackers will definitely do anything just to take advantage on other people because it is one of their source of income that they don't care about the people they steal, so using Kobe Bryant's death is one of their choice or way to attracts people attention for to click bait them.

[Leonardo7]

I am thinking of getting aother phone where my asset will be stored at home, never leaving my house and only come online whenever I need fund for heavy trading, and just to move out fund, having my telegram only installed for connection of transfer. I understand a hardware wallet can do this, I don't know where to get a trusted one in my country, I lose the contact of a friend who use to sell.

[budi691]

with increasingly craze and the competition is quite fierce right now people are trying to do various ways to get big profits, but their dirty ways by involving digital money as a tool to make transactions, so that digital money like bitcoin is negative in the eyes of the public,
Unsecured security software is an opportunity for criminals to get what they want..

[livingfree]

I have downloaded different thing but it's not a Kobe picture but almost the same thing happened to me. And that file was downloaded 3-4 years ago.

Until I have scanned my PC after a long time, there's a detection of these worms and miners. I didn't know that it's for real until I have read the same thing before so I'm being careful in downloading files these days.

[Sanugarid]

I find it fascinating and shameful at the same time.
Fascinating because just a mere image can make you a victim of a hacker to mine crypto on your device.

It is really fascinating how the technology evolves, I didn't imagine in my life that I could get a malware just for clicking an image, however I doubt it, I really do coz there must be something, a link maybe and one thing why would you just simply click a picture on a random website?

Just imagine the level of expertise that person would be having who figures such an attack at the first place.

I've heard about this a long time ago, but I did not believe it. But way back, it can be easily detected as the other says.

Shameful because the attacker could have done this with any image but he chose a person who is already dead.
But we can't blame him though since these people are known to have no feelings at all.

I'm a fan of Kobe, not a solid but I idolize him on and off the court, it is really bothering how people be swallowing their conscience for the money. More probably he did that coz Kobe's a celebrity, and people would be easily fall for it, having an awesome kobe's desktop wallpaper. This is what most of the scammers do, get into the trend for more target victims.

[Debonaire217]

Hackers have existed since the internet began, it’s nothing new. It makes me annoyed that the media report these things as if it’s exclusive to bitcoin. Fraud & scams have existed for probably hundreds of years since anything of monetary value was introduced.

Perhaps, these people find hacking as an easy way for them to earn money. There's no doubt that they are also a fan of Kobe, too bad that they didn't respect his death by using him to frauds.

By the way, there are ways to reduce the risk even if we download these files, just make sure that our antivirus is always updated, and make sure that we aren't filling up suspicious softwares that sends our data for no clear purpose.

[Gotumoot]

Reality is real shitty desperate people would use anything they could in order to earn even if they would use the deceased or sick people.
I have seen some people carrying baby in the street to beg for money even if it isn't their baby or using some medical document of some sick people to beg even though there isn't really sick on their family.
People would use anything to get sympathy and get money from it.

[elisabetheva]

Reality is real shitty desperate people would use anything they could in order to earn even if they would use the deceased or sick people.
I have seen some people carrying baby in the street to beg for money even if it isn't their baby or using some medical document of some sick people to beg even though there isn't really sick on their family.
People would use anything to get sympathy and get money from it.

it is true that behavior like you said has become a livelihood in itself and there is even a separate syndicate that shelters them with such jobs.
if anyone does something to them there will be help from the shelters. it seems that this has become a very attractive syndicate to make money from people who feel sorry for it.

The problem is that there are still many who sympathize with this kind of treatment which will result in them not wanting to change themselves so that they can try. if only no one was sympathetic, then this behavior would naturally disappear because it was no longer profitable.

[rodskee]

Reality is real shitty desperate people would use anything they could in order to earn even if they would use the deceased or sick people.

That's life, there are people who don't mind doing this for the sake of getting money.
Nothing else is important but to earn.

I have seen some people carrying baby in the street to beg for money even if it isn't their baby or using some medical document of some sick people to beg even though there isn't really sick on their family.

Sad thing but like what you have said, it's reality and its very frustrating to see
those who are doing such acts.

People would use anything to get sympathy and get money from it.

For them, it's the easiest way to compensate, as long as there's people who are
being victimized this kind of people will not stop.

[yazher]

From what I read in the article about how you can protect yourself from hijacking, is you need to update both your antivirus and operating system to be able to scan those malicious files hiding in your devices to secretly mine cryptocurrencies. Every time you accidentally download on of those files, they automatically delete it. it depends on what antivirus you are using though as some of them is just nothing compared to the others. what are your thoughts on this?

https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/what-is-cryptojacking-how-to-protect-your-self/