Kobe Bryant's death has been used for scamming.

[Alucard1]

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.

[1715621556]

1715621556

[1715621556]

1715621556

[1715621556]

1715621556

[Charles-Tim]

In order to protect your device used for bitcoin wallets, exchanges, bank accounts and other sensitive things, you need to get two devices, one for such sensitive things and will not be used for browsing, no matter how expert how are, if they use their device to browsing, there is possibility of installing malware unknowingly.

Using another device for heavy browsing will be good,  not your sensitive devices. Like having two phones, one for only sensitive things and should only go online for such purposes related to bitcoin wallets or exchanges while the other for browsing and related things.

[elisabetheva]

all methods are done by people who really want to take not his, through innovation that is always renewable. this behavior is very regrettable but we can not do anything with it, unfortunately the intelligence that is only to do harm to others.

information carried out like this is very useful for many people not to be caught in the fraud.
maybe not just someone who has big capital will be eroded by this action. it could also be about anyone or maybe even those who actually need it for their life's interests in a pandemic situation like this. This is unfortunate and very unwise, so that law enforcement authorities can immediately intervene to stop it, and we can only provide information to each other so as not to continue to harm many people.

[so98nn]

Dam can't guess at what extent people could go to earn money. That is a really shameful act in the first place I mean. Considering how fast we are moving in the fabric of internet of thing (IoT) we need to put ourselves at higher securities. It's like we have only one security gate but these hackers will always develop a new back door and before you could even notice they will hack it all.

Like I came to know the news from you now, but what if I would have gone through the process of downloading those images and gotten hacked already. It would have been useless to read these articles right now. Pity.

[Oasisman]

This is more than just a scamming act. A genius programmer hijacking your computer through a wallpaper or a photo that was downloaded to your desktop secretly mining crypto for him. That's actually insane.
An average person like me and many of us won't notice that our computer is actually mining crypto and using our hardware and internet connection to earn for the hacker.

Now, this is another additional education for us not to download anything in the internet, specially when your storing financial information to your computer.

[Yaunfitda]

This is an old news already, if you're going to look at the article,

Anthony Cuthbertson
@ADCuthbertson
Friday 31 January 2020 21:01

And the latest that these scammers taking advantage of the situation or at least a death of someone is: [Warning]: George Floyd token FLYD.

[The Cryptovator]

Humanity is getting lost from the people day by day. A scammer's identity is the only scammer, so it's not surprising to me that someone getting the advantage of a dead person. More sadly, is that scammer using the processing power by hacking other computers. But I am a little confused, is it too much profitable for scammers? Because who knows how long the hacked computer will be online and need a good data connection as well.

Anyway, it's more dangerous for crypto-currency users since hackers are operating the computer. They might even hack our wallet. Increasing awareness regarding this kind of scam would save people and we shouldn't download anything from untrusted sources as well.

[rodskee]

Dam can't guess at what extent people could go to earn money. That is a really shameful act in the first place I mean. Considering how fast we are moving in the fabric of internet of thing (IoT) we need to put ourselves at higher securities. It's like we have only one security gate but these hackers will always develop a new back door and before you could even notice they will hack it all.

Hackers are hackers, we don't have any choice but to continue doing
our protection securing our devices.
A shame since Kobe was a  really legend and fans are dying to download
things regarding to him.
Easy to be moved and hackers can easily penetrate.

Like I came to know the news from you now, but what if I would have gone through the process of downloading those images and gotten hacked already. It would have been useless to read these articles right now. Pity.

That's the problem and for sure same happened with those who find
this news until today.
It's really better to separate your crypto device from your regular one.

[Latviand]

This is more than just a scamming act. A genius programmer hijacking your computer through a wallpaper or a photo that was downloaded to your desktop secretly mining crypto for him. That's actually insane.
An average person like me and many of us won't notice that our computer is actually mining crypto and using our hardware and internet connection to earn for the hacker.

This is a whole new level of scamming, although the concept is still the same that they use a high profile personality, the difference is that they use a wallpaper to hijack a computer which is unique. This is the first time that I've read this kind of scamming reports and this make me become alerted in downloading pictures or wallpaper in those websites that I'm going to visit.

Thank you so much for this OP.

Anyway, it's more dangerous for crypto-currency users since hackers are operating the computer. They might even hack our wallet. Increasing awareness regarding this kind of scam would save people and we shouldn't download anything from untrusted sources as well.

This is really a one of a kind strategy of those scammers, no one can really thought that they can mine cryptocurrency in just a simple wallpaper. This makes me anxious about the things that I've downloaded in the past few months, I'll always check my wallet and delete the things that I don't need in my computer. Prevention is better than recovering all our losses due to carelessness.

[so98nn]

Dam can't guess at what extent people could go to earn money. That is a really shameful act in the first place I mean. Considering how fast we are moving in the fabric of internet of thing (IoT) we need to put ourselves at higher securities. It's like we have only one security gate but these hackers will always develop a new back door and before you could even notice they will hack it all.

[....]

[....]

That's the problem and for sure same happened with those who find
this news until today.
It's really better to separate your crypto device from your regular one.

Yeah, that is why I have been using Ledger Nano since long. It's better to move earnings, investments into it and keep it disconnected from the internet. Since internet is only the gate to reach the funds in the hardware wallets. Back in time when I used to do mining I had the ETH address set to Ledger directly, din't even needed to check the wallet since everything goes off the network without seeing it. On the other hand we all know blockchain's integrity is strongest one against such attacks.

Where we loose the fund is online wallets, exchangers, contracts etc. they are directly connected one and liable to hacks.

[supine]

I just can't believe how low could this people be using someones death in order to scam people?
I am not surprise but how could those people eat or even sleep? I am not just talking about this picture of Kobe Bryant but also for those who use other person or death/sick person to scam or gain money from others.
There are other ways to earn but why would they even use this kind of move just to gain money?

[davis196]

I just can't believe how low could this people be using someones death in order to scam people?
I am not surprise but how could those people eat or even sleep? I am not just talking about this picture of Kobe Bryant but also for those who use other person or death/sick person to scam or gain money from others.
There are other ways to earn but why would they even use this kind of move just to gain money?

Those scammers are sociopaths.They can't feel shame or guilt.All they want is money and nothing can stop them.
Who still downloads pictures of celebrities nowadays?We are in the era of social media and services like Google photos.What's the point of downloading an image file on your PC?
Anyway,this news is just another "opportunity" for Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general to appear again on the mainstream media and be pointed out as a "scam" or "criminal currency".

[Reatim]

I just can't believe how low could this people be using someones death in order to scam people?
I am not surprise but how could those people eat or even sleep? I am not just talking about this picture of Kobe Bryant but also for those who use other person or death/sick person to scam or gain money from others.
There are other ways to earn but why would they even use this kind of move just to gain money?

These people has no conscience and they  don't care  about everything because  their Goal is to make money no matter what it takes,Just like people can KIll people in the name of  money this is more  lighter because they are only using the death of others just to make money.

These people always active if there are big event happens specially world wide events.

thats why for our own safeties  lets not  just Jump to every downloads  or links about the latest  issue,instead  check the details first  if it is safe or not.

i believe that this happens last January 31 when Kobe's death is really talk of the town.

[angrybirdy]

I just can't believe how low could this people be using someones death in order to scam people?
I am not surprise but how could those people eat or even sleep? I am not just talking about this picture of Kobe Bryant but also for those who use other person or death/sick person to scam or gain money from others.
There are other ways to earn but why would they even use this kind of move just to gain money?

When it comes to money, scammers don't feel anything. They don't care to anyone or feel bad as long as they get enough money to benefit themselves. Scammers don't have conscience, they can sleep or eat so easily because from the very start, this is what they do for a living.
There are other ways to earn indeed, however, they prefer the easiest way possible to earn money even if it turns out to be a bad activity.

[jpnl0006]

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.

There is hardly anything hackers don't capitalise on to hack innocent users of systems i am thinking  symposium should be held to further sensitise people on the need for them to be laert and not be ignorant of devises of these hackers. Most hackers capitalise on the ignorance of users and that makes them vulnerable.

[plvbob0070]

Just do not understand what do people get by doing all this things, it’s the money they want it , so isn't doing the ethical hacking could help them and they will also get fame by doing good things and helping sites/apps etc by doing ethical hacking instead of this types of things. Now scam is increasing and very easily you can read anything related to such types of things happening around the world.

They can still earn income by using their knowledge and skills in a good and ethical manner. However, some people really want to earn big money so easily and I think that's the reason why hackers and scammers still choose to do it.

Scamming and hacking is indeed increasing because more people are getting into technology and the internet, and that's an opportunity for them. Especially now that we've seen a lot of similar cases recently, and for sure it will increase more.

[NavI_027]

So disgusting . What an act of desperation just to earn money. They now have the guts to take advantage of a deceased individual. They're evolving and I hate it.
Anyway, Is that even possible?! I can't believe it. I thought such malware can be found only from infected applications/software. Actually one of the signs I knew if your device is now used as mining power by the hackers is when you noticed that your device is overheating despite of not using mobile network on that particular app. Hmm, now I'm wondering what signs we can see if we accidentally downloaded an infected picture knowing that it's less power consuming. Is it the same?

[snip]

They can still earn income by using their knowledge and skills in a good and ethical manner. However, some people really want to earn big money so easily and I think that's the reason why hackers and scammers still choose to do it.

They can but they don't want. They are confident of doing illegal things because they knew that they can easily escape through their outstanding computer skills. That's a sad fact .

[pawanjain]

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

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.

[PeripoGrey]

 Not really surprise. Any benefit that might attract people will do. Steganography can be use to deliver these digital crimes. Only way to prevent is always keep our finger away from unknown domains and run softwares to virtual box for security reasons.

Sadly, they've been using a dead person for their evil act. Cryptocurrencies are not meant for this and must never be use for such an acts!

[Shame_Game]

This happens quite often, which means that people are deceived and fraudsters continue to steal your money.