⚠️ WARNING: Fake Electrum Wallet Website Stealing Seed Phrases

[L E G E N D A R Y]

Hello Bitcoin forum community. I was doing a little researching on the best wallet to use because I am very enthusiastic about beginning my Bitcoin journey and the last thing I need is having to choose a wallet that I’ll regret using later on. I used to use Trust wallet to receive airdrops and other rewards and I didn’t see anything wrong with that, but deciding to up my game, I felt I should be more discreet about choosing the right wallet. I figured out trust wallet isn’t even acknowledged as a reliable wallet here on the forum. I did a little more reading  here and figured out Electrum wallet is the forum’s most recommended wallet so I decided to look it up.

To cut the long story short, I figured out there’s an active phishing website impersonating the real electrum wallet, I don’t know if you guys are aware of it though, but I just felt like sharing it here for the benefit of those who are ignorant of this.

Fake website:
electrum.com

Official website:
electrum.org

The main purpose of this phishing attack is to steal user’s seed phrase and immediately drain their funds.

So how does this scam really work??

1. First thing to note about this scam is that only those who are in fond of downloading apps via google search. So the first step is the target searches to electrum download on google.

2. The fake site (electrum.com) pops up and the target downloads it, thinking he has downloaded the real electrum.

3. The first thing the wallets does is prompt users for seek phrases and.

4. Immediately the phrases are inputted, vooooom, your funds are gone just like that.

How to identify the fake wallet when you download one.

1. Fake electrum wallet mandates users to input wallet phrases, while the official wallet kinda makes it optional for users.

2. Fake wallet doesn’t have a valid GPG signature

3. Fake wallet doesn’t match the official published hash.

Phishing scams are increasing by the day and many people are taking it lightly because it hasn’t happened to them, you don’t have to wait till it does, it’s wiser when you learn from the experience of others.
So if you downloaded electrum wallet recently, you might wanna
1. Verify the source
2. Check the file signature and
3. If you’re no sure about the authenticity of the app, immediately move your funds.

I hope someone finds this piece of information helpful.

[promise444c5]

Don’t trust always verify irrespective of the source, even on the official using the `.org’ TLD..
Anyway, you might be interested in this https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/text/2018/d2018-1088.html , which explains why it redirects to electrum.org but the tld has its own pass history.

The “how to verify electrum signature” guide is on the official site, https://electrum.org/#download.
Alternatively there’re threads with detailed guide aswell:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5240594  among others

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5552663 [mobile] 

[Son $f Grace]

Fake website:
electrum.com

Official website:
electrum.org

Nice one her, OP it a nice classic attack that catches many of us off guard. Should say google search results are not a security certificate, why did i say so this days scammers pay for Sponsored ads for then to sit at the top search’s.
 To the How to identify list I have two as list below
1: GPG Verfication
At this very part one is not advisable to trust the website but rather trust the math. Verification of signature of the download using Thomas Voegtluns public key is very important part also. How to identify again is that if the signature didn’t say Good signature u are advisable to delete the file as possible
2: Check the Seed screen
As it has being, real Electrum will never ask you to sync or u should validate ones seee phrase on a website. Mostly when one see a text box asking for twelve words online is sure that it scam, abd again when one verify electrum.org u are to bookmark it abd neber type it manually for safety.

I really appreciate this post. This kind of post saves newbies like us from Sapa cause by this scammers.

[Mr Reporter]

Op i feel you have really have done well by dropping this helpful thread, at first when I saw this thread in my mind I just asking if this was even possible at first of hearing I feel their nothing new again,well for newbie’s like us really learnt from this your helpful thread, and I now I when think long that wallets was the most promising wallet which has know for that it save and having to hear it has a fake type..

[Tetu100]

Thanks for the update, it's becoming more scary on how this scammers are bringing new updates on a daily basis on carrying out their scamming activities, who knows how they might have come about such an idea and how many dude's out there they probably might have succeeded in scamming with this format, God help us.

Electrum wallet is an amazing wallet that poccesses everything you ever want from a competent and a reliable wallet and that's what am using perhaps I know exactly what am talking about, I wonder why some people are just bend on distroying someone's efforts over the years by impersonating the brand for evil. However I believe this thread will create awareness for people to be more careful and watchful.

[Agathamay]

You've done well mate and just for the fact that you're truly trying to protect your fellow citizens is already a nice gesture and I must commend you for it .
Omo we suppose don know by now say, these scammers and criminals no really get chills for body as dem ready to take any slightest opportunity them get to steal from people and this very thing suppose be eye opener for everyone and if you wan download any app, make we try Dey verify these apps or better still try to download them directly from their official website.

[Sticky Bomb]

I don't know if anyone tried visiting that URL electrum.com and succeeded?
I tried visiting it from 4 different browser, edge, chrome, Opera mini and opera and had same result of being redirected to the original site electrum.org. I had to download opera browser so I can visit from a new browser without history of visiting the original site to know if it's only a new browser that's vulnerable to visiting it but still same results.

PS: I tried all these from my mobile device, maybe a PC experience would be different.

[WhoYouCantKill]

I don't know if anyone tried visiting that URL electrum.com and succeeded?
I tried visiting it from 4 different browser, edge, chrome, Opera mini and opera and had same result of being redirected to the original site electrum.org. I had to download opera browser so I can visit from a new browser without history of visiting the original site to know if it's only a new browser that's vulnerable to visiting it but still same results.

PS: I tried all these from my mobile device, maybe a PC experience would be different.

I just tried it right now and I’m also being redirected to the main site (electrum.org). I even tried searching it on google and though electrum.com popped up but when I still clicked it, it still redirected me back to electrum.org.

My guess is that maybe the fake site was repeatedly reported by victims and concerned users and it was perhaps taken down. Just like the fake bitcointalk site (bltcointalk.org) that was recently brought up and taken down due to several reports.

But regardless, this is still a gentle reminder that users needs to be careful out there, the rate of scams out there is alarming and everyone just needs to be careful.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

So if you downloaded electrum wallet recently, you might wanna
1. Verify the source
2. Check the file signature and
3. If you’re no sure about the authenticity of the app, immediately move your funds.

I hope someone finds this piece of information helpful.

Thank you for such an important information, I laughed a bit when you said if one is not sure about the authenticity of the wallet they have downloaded and have funds stored therein, they should immediately move the funds, it's funny because if a wallet is fake, that is, if the wallet app is one that is owned by scammers, there is no way you keep funds in there and it remains, if you have bitcoins in the wallet, then it's wise to check that wallet address on a blockchain scanner, you will discover that the wallet is empty with no funds if the address even exist, what this mean is that what you have on the wallet as Bitcoin isn't bitcoin but numbers the scammer typed in their for you to think your funds are intact.
So if your wallet is fake, sorry but there will be nothing to move because the wallet will be empty.

And when it comes to downloading a software wallet, no one should ever be making that mistake of searching through google search or other search engines, simply go to the official website (if you don't know the link to the official website, ask on this forum) and download the wallet app from there, a link on the site should lead to the app on Google playstore or iPhone appstore.

[promise444c5]

I don't know if anyone tried visiting that URL electrum.com and succeeded?
I tried visiting it from 4 different browser, edge, chrome, Opera mini and opera and had same result of being redirected to the original site electrum.org. I had to download opera browser so I can visit from a new browser without history of visiting the original site to know if it's only a new browser that's vulnerable to visiting it but still same results.

PS: I tried all these from my mobile device, maybe a PC experience would be different.

In case you missed my comment above, here you go once again:

Anyway, you might be interested in this https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/text/2018/d2018-1088.html , which explains why it redirects to electrum.org but the tld has its own pass history.

By the way, TLD stands for Top Level Domain , some call it domain extension. .com,.space,.xyz,.co,.tech.. and so on are all TLDs.


For anyone who still seems lost, the news from OP is old and was probably reposted as new  from OP sources just to get attention or other reasons for rebranding an old news as new, and OP fell for it. I didn’t add that earlier because it makes absolutely no sense to start explaining when I could simply pass the necessary information that should be taken seriously whenever you download a wallet.

But for anyone interested, you can satisfy your curiosity here:
electrum.com bought by scammers to distribute alleged "Electrum Pro" coin stealing malware

[MisFoxie]

I don't know why but when i search electrum wallet in Google it shows the original link of electrum wallet. Even after clicking show more results it won't show electrum.com on the list. But when i actually paste scam link google give me warning as it's doesn't support secure connection.


Actually pushing app or site people can't immediately detect it as phishing site because when scammers create a phishing site they copy every details so that no one can detect it as a phishing site or app. The only way to verify them is by finding legitimate source. When i was first downloading my First wallet I search YouTube and watch many video to prove it as legitimate source.

[Yablee0]

I don't know why but when i search electrum wallet in Google it shows the original link of electrum wallet. Even after clicking show more results it won't show electrum.com on the list. But when i actually paste scam link google give me warning as it's doesn't support secure connection.


Actually pushing app or site people can't immediately detect it as phishing site because when scammers create a phishing site they copy every details so that no one can detect it as a phishing site or app. The only way to verify them is by finding legitimate source. When i was first downloading my First wallet I search YouTube and watch many video to prove it as legitimate source.

Why are we trying to check what has already been confirmed as a risk or threat to our funds, what if at the process of trying to check something funny now happen or you becomes the next victim what will we say? perhaps losing your funds all because you were trying to confirm if it was true or false.

However, I believe the surposed site has already been taking down to avoid further escalation and that's why it wasn't responding when being checked repeatedly by other users. Furthermore, I will suggest we should be more careful especially on how we go about when dealing with suspected site so we wouldn't fall victim to all this scammers.

[MisFoxie]

Why are we trying to check what has already been confirmed as a risk or threat to our funds, what if at the process of trying to check something funny now happen or you becomes the next victim what will we say? perhaps losing your funds all because you were trying to confirm if it was true or false.

However, I believe the surposed site has already been taking down to avoid further escalation and that's why it wasn't responding when being checked repeatedly by other users. Furthermore, I will suggest we should be more careful especially on how we go about when dealing with suspected site so we wouldn't fall victim to all this scammers.

Well, you may think it's crazy to check a website that has been confirmed as a phishing site but I like to explore even scamming site to learn practically, I didn't try to access that site to confirm if it is a scamming site or not but to get Idea of how people fall for it and they implement new technic to scam. Btw I didn't access with my original device so no need to warry about being scammed. Being notified and being experienced both is completely different thing. People learn faster by experiencing something.

[MainIbem]

Why are we trying to check what has already been confirmed as a risk or threat to our funds, what if at the process of trying to check something funny now happen or you becomes the next victim what will we say? perhaps losing your funds all because you were trying to confirm if it was true or false.

However, I believe the surposed site has already been taking down to avoid further escalation and that's why it wasn't responding when being checked repeatedly by other users. Furthermore, I will suggest we should be more careful especially on how we go about when dealing with suspected site so we wouldn't fall victim to all this scammers.

Well, you may think it's crazy to check a website that has been confirmed as a phishing site but I like to explore even scamming site to learn practically, I didn't try to access that site to confirm if it is a scamming site or not but to get Idea of how people fall for it and they implement new technic to scam. Btw I didn't access with my original device so no need to warry about being scammed. Being notified and being experienced both is completely different thing. People learn faster by experiencing something.

What he said is not bad afterall atleast he's just advising you on being extra careful, I understand your point as someone who love to explore but while at it you should be extremely careful so you don't get scammed out of curiosity. Like you said, scammers come up with different new techniques and you'll be surprised how the least expected thing you do is what they'll end up making you their victim. Anyways from your last statement it's good you know what you're doing and applying careful measures while exploring that site.