The rising reputation of on-line marketplaces has attracted fraudsters preying on unsuspecting patrons and sellers, trying to rating fee card data somewhat than to strike a cut price. ESET researchers have discovered that one such organized scammer community – which makes use of Telekopye, a toolkit found by ESET Analysis in 2023 – has expanded its operations to focus on customers of common lodging reserving platforms.
Final yr, we revealed a two-part blogpost collection on Telekopye, a Telegram-based toolkit cybercriminals use to rip-off individuals on on-line marketplaces. The first half centered on Telekopye’s key options, whereas the second half examined the interior workings of the affiliated rip-off teams. On this blogpost, we comply with up on what has modified in Telekopye operations since our final publication, primarily based on our continued monitoring. We glance into how these scammer teams have branched out to concentrating on Reserving.com and Airbnb, in addition to their varied different efforts to optimize their operations and maximize monetary acquire. Final however not least, we offer steering on the right way to keep shielded from these scams.
We offered our up to date findings on Telekopye on the Virus Bulletin convention on October 2nd, 2024, and in our white paper, which you’ll be able to learn in full right here. The paper was additionally revealed on the Virus Bulletin web site.
Key factors of this blogpost:
- ESET Analysis shares up to date findings on Telekopye, a rip-off toolkit designed to assist cybercriminals defraud individuals on on-line marketplaces.
- Whereas our earlier analysis explored the technical and organizational background of Telekopye scams, our newest analysis describes the scammers’ varied efforts to maximise their monetary beneficial properties – increasing their sufferer pool, profiting from seasonal alternatives, and bettering their instruments and operations.
- Most notably, Telekopye teams have expanded their concentrating on to common lodging reserving platforms, equivalent to Reserving.com and Airbnb.
- This new rip-off state of affairs comes with a concentrating on twist, using compromised accounts of reliable lodges and lodging suppliers.
- These scams had been particularly prevalent in the summertime vacation season within the focused areas, surpassing Telekopye market scams, in line with ESET telemetry.
Telekopye overview
Telekopye is a toolkit that operates as a Telegram bot, primarily serving as a Swiss Military knife for turning on-line market scams into an organized illicit enterprise. It’s utilized by dozens of rip-off teams, with as much as 1000’s of members, to steal hundreds of thousands from Mammoths, as they name the focused patrons and sellers. Neanderthals, as we name the scammers, require little to no technical data – Telekopye takes care of every thing in a matter of seconds.
Found by ESET Analysis in 2023, Telekopye has been in use since no less than 2016, with victims all around the world. A number of leads level to Russia because the nation of origin of the bot’s creator(s) and likewise the scammers utilizing it. Telekopye is designed to focus on a big number of on-line providers in Europe and North America, equivalent to OLX, Vinted, eBay, Wallapop, and others. On the time of writing, we’ve got counted roughly 90 totally different providers being focused by the scams.
Neanderthals – members of any Telegram group using Telekopye – acquire entry to the bot’s UI, which allows easy era of phishing emails, SMS messages, net pages, and different options.
Telekopye teams have a business-like operation, with a transparent hierarchy, outlined roles, inner practices – together with admission and mentoring processes for newcomers – mounted working hours, and fee payouts for Telekopye directors. The Employees performing the scams should flip over any delicate data stolen, and don’t truly steal any cash – that’s managed by different roles within the group. Every group retains a clear chat of all transactions, seen to all members.
Neanderthals make the most of two principal situations for concentrating on on-line marketplaces – one the place they pose as sellers and one other, way more frequent, the place they pose as patrons. Each situations finish with the sufferer/Mammoth coming into fee card data or on-line banking credentials right into a phishing net web page mimicking a fee gateway.
Just lately, Telekopye teams have expanded their concentrating on by including assist for scamming customers of common on-line platforms for reserving lodging, which we cowl within the following part.
Branching out to lodging reserving platforms
In 2024, Telekopye teams have expanded their scamming playbook with schemes concentrating on customers of common on-line platforms for lodge and residence reservations, equivalent to Reserving.com and Airbnb. They’ve additionally elevated the sophistication of their sufferer choice and concentrating on.
Focusing on with a twist
On this new rip-off state of affairs, Neanderthals contact a focused consumer of one in all these platforms, claiming that there’s a problem with the consumer’s reserving fee. The message incorporates a hyperlink to a well-crafted, legitimate-looking net web page mimicking the abused platform.
The web page incorporates prefilled details about a reserving, such because the check-in and checkout dates, worth, and site. This comes with a troubling twist: the data offered on the fraudulent pages matches actual bookings made by the focused customers.
The Neanderthals obtain this by using compromised accounts of reliable lodges and lodging suppliers on the platforms, which they probably entry by way of stolen credentials bought on cybercriminal boards. Utilizing their entry to those accounts, scammers single out customers who not too long ago booked a keep and haven’t paid but – or paid very not too long ago – and call them by way of in-platform chat. Relying on the platform and the Mammoth’s settings, this results in the Mammoth receiving an e-mail or SMS from the reserving platform.
This makes the rip-off a lot tougher to identify, as the data offered is personally related to the victims, arrives by way of the anticipated communication channel, and the linked, faux web sites look as anticipated. The one seen signal of one thing being amiss are the web sites’ URLs, which don’t match these of the impersonated, reliable web sites. Neanderthals may additionally use their very own e-mail addresses for the preliminary communication (somewhat than the compromised accounts), wherein case the emails is perhaps extra simply acknowledged as malicious.
As soon as the goal fills out the shape on the phishing web page (Determine 1), they’re delivered to the ultimate step of the “reserving” – a kind requesting fee card data (Determine 2). As within the market scams, card particulars entered into the shape are harvested by the Neanderthals and used to steal cash from the Mammoth’s card.
In keeping with ESET telemetry, one of these rip-off began gaining traction in 2024. As seen in Determine 3, the accommodation-themed scams noticed a pointy uptick in July, surpassing the unique Telekopye market scams for the primary time, with greater than double the detections throughout that month. In August and September, the detection ranges for the 2 classes evened out.
As this enhance coincides with the summer season vacation season within the focused areas – prime time for profiting from individuals reserving stays – it stays to be seen whether or not this development will proceed. Trying on the total 2024 knowledge, we are able to see that these newer scams have amassed roughly half of the detection numbers of {the marketplace} variants. That is noteworthy contemplating that the newer scams deal with two platforms solely, in comparison with the big variety of on-line marketplaces focused by Telekopye.
Superior Telekopye options
Apart from diversifying their goal portfolio, Neanderthals have additionally improved their instruments and operations to extend their monetary returns.
All through our monitoring of Telekopye, we’ve noticed that totally different Telegram teams implement their very own superior options into the toolkit, aimed toward dashing up the rip-off course of, bettering communication with targets, defending phishing web sites towards disruption by opponents, and different targets.
Automated phishing web page era
To hurry up the method of making rip-off supplies for posing as patrons on marketplaces, Neanderthals carried out net scrapers for common focused platforms. With these, solely the URL to the product is required, as a substitute of getting to manually fill out a questionnaire concerning the focused Mammoth and product in query. Telekopye parses the net web page and extracts all obligatory data mechanically, offering a major speedup for the scammers.
Interactive chatbot with on-the-fly translation
Neanderthals preserve a big assortment of predefined solutions to questions generally requested by Mammoths. These are translated into varied languages and stored as a part of inner documentation, with the translations perfected through the years.
Neanderthals usually use these predefined phrases to attempt to direct the Mammoth to the phishing web site, which comes with a chatbot within the decrease proper nook. Any message the Mammoth enters into the chat is forwarded to the Neanderthal’s Telegram chat, the place it’s mechanically translated. Computerized translation of Neanderthals’ messages isn’t supported – Neanderthals translate their messages manually, often utilizing DeepL. Determine 3 exhibits how such an interplay seems from the Neanderthal’s and Mammoth’s factors of view.
Anti-DDoS measures
The overwhelming majority of the phishing web sites are serviced by Cloudflare, counting on that service’s added safety, primarily towards crawlers and automated evaluation. Apparently, among the Telekopye phishing web sites additionally include DDoS safety included. In keeping with the Neanderthals’ data base, which we obtained by infiltrating their ranks, this function goals to guard towards assaults by rival teams. These are typically launched as a method to disrupt a competitor’s operations for a brief interval.
Regulation enforcement operations
In late 2023, after ESET Analysis had revealed its two-part collection on Telekopye, Czech and Ukrainian police arrested tens of cybercriminals using Telekopye, together with the important thing gamers, in two joint operations. Each operations had been aimed towards an unspecified variety of Telekopye teams, which had accrued no less than €5 million (roughly US$5.5 million) since 2021, primarily based on police estimates.
Apart from the apparent success in disrupting such prison actions, the arrests offered new insights into the teams’ workings, most notably recruitment and employment practices. The teams in query had been managed, from devoted workspaces, by middle-aged males from Jap Europe and West and Central Asia. They recruited individuals in tough life conditions, by way of job portal postings promising “simple cash”, in addition to by concentrating on technically expert overseas college students at universities.
Some perpetrators confessed that additionally they participated in one other rip-off group, just like the Telekopye ones, that utilized name facilities. The police discovered that the recruits in that operation had been usually stripped of their passports and private IDs to make quitting very tough. Additional, the managers typically went as far as to threaten the employees and their relations. This chilling growth places these operations into a totally totally different gentle.
Suggestions
One of the best ways to remain protected towards scams pushed by Telekopye is being conscious of Neanderthals’ techniques and exercising warning on the affected platforms. Apart from realizing what crimson flags to concentrate to, we strongly suggest utilizing a good antimalware resolution in your gadget to step in if you happen to do find yourself being lured to a phishing web site.
On-line market scams
- All the time confirm the particular person you’re speaking with, primarily their historical past on the platform, age of their account, score, and site – a location too distant, a contemporary account with no historical past, or a foul score is perhaps indicators of a scammer.
- With the enhancements in machine translation, messages from a scammer may not elevate any crimson flags when it comes to grammar. Slightly than specializing in the language, deal with the dialog itself – overly keen or assertive communication ought to elevate some issues.
- Maintain the communication on the platform, even when the particular person you’re speaking to suggests in any other case. Their unwillingness to remain on the platform ought to be a serious crimson flag.
- In case you are a purchaser, use safe interfaces throughout the platform all through the entire shopping for course of, at any time when out there. In any other case, insist on in-person change of products and cash, or prepare on your selection of dependable supply providers with the choice to pay on supply.
- In case you are a vendor, use safe interfaces throughout the platform all through the entire promoting course of, at any time when out there. In any other case, handle supply choices your self and don’t conform to these provided by the client.
- In case you get to a degree the place you do go to a hyperlink despatched by the particular person you’re speaking to, be sure you fastidiously test the URL, content material, and certificates properties of the web site earlier than participating with it.
Lodging reserving scams
- Earlier than filling out any kinds associated to your reserving, all the time be sure you haven’t left the official web site or app of the platform in query. Being directed to an exterior URL to proceed along with your reserving and fee is an indicator of a doable rip-off.
- As a result of this rip-off makes use of compromised accounts of lodging suppliers, contacting the suppliers instantly isn’t a dependable method of verifying the legitimacy of fee requests. When doubtful, contact the official buyer assist of the platform (Reserving.com, Airbnb) or report a safety concern (Reserving.com, Airbnb).
- To guard your account from compromise, whether or not you’re reserving lodging or renting one out, use a robust password and allow two-factor authentication wherever out there.
Conclusion
Our analysis into Telekopye actions has given us distinctive insights into these scams: we had been in a position to perceive the technical means behind the scope of the operations, the enterprise facet of Telekopye teams, and even study Neanderthals themselves.
We’ve got described the teams’ varied efforts to maximise their monetary beneficial properties, together with increasing their sufferer pool, profiting from seasonal alternatives, and bettering their instruments and operations. Most notably, we’ve got detailed the Neanderthals’ latest strategy of concentrating on lodging reserving platforms, which additionally comes with extra subtle concentrating on.
It’s price noting that we’ve got communicated with a number of platforms focused by Telekopye all through our analysis; they’re absolutely conscious of those scams and confirmed they’ve employed a number of techniques to fight them. Nonetheless, warning continues to be suggested for customers as a result of variety of the scams and their steady evolution.
For any inquiries about our analysis revealed on WeLiveSecurity, please contact us at threatintel@eset.com.ESET Analysis gives non-public APT intelligence studies and knowledge feeds. For any inquiries about this service, go to the ESET Menace Intelligence web page.
IoCs
Information
SHA-1 | Filename | Detection | Description |
E815A879F7F30FB492D4 |
rip-off.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.B | Telekopye bot. |
378699D285325E905375 |
rip-off.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.B | Telekopye bot. |
242CE4AF01E24DB05407 |
123.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.A | Telekopye bot. |
9D1EE6043A8B6D81C328 |
mell.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.B | Telekopye bot. |
B0189F20983A891D0B9B |
neddoss.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.A | Telekopye bot. |
E39A30AD22C327BBBD2B |
nscode.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.A | Telekopye bot. |
285E0573EF667C6FB7AE |
tinkoff.php | PHP/HackTool.Telekopye.A | Telekopye bot. |
Community
IP | Area | Internet hosting supplier | First seen | Particulars |
N/A | 3-dsecurepay[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-30 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | approveine[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-06-28 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | audittravelerbookdetails[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-06-01 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | btsdostavka-uz[.]ru | TIMEWEB-RU | 2024-01-02 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | burdchoureserdoc[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-31 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | check-629807-id[.]prime | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-30 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | contact-click2399[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-26 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | contact-click7773[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-30 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | get3ds-safe[.]data | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-31 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | hostelguest[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-30 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | order-9362[.]click on | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-29 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | shiptakes[.]data | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-29 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | quickroombook[.]com | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-06-02 | Telekopye phishing area. |
N/A | validation-confi[.]data | Cloudflare, Inc. | 2024-05-29 | Telekopye phishing area. |
MITRE ATT&CK methods
This desk was constructed utilizing model 15 of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Tactic | ID | Identify | Description |
Reconnaissance | T1589 | Collect Sufferer Id Data | Telekopye is used to collect fee card particulars, cellphone numbers, e-mail addresses, and many others. by way of phishing net pages. |
Useful resource Growth | T1583.001 | Purchase Infrastructure: Domains | Telekopye operators register their very own domains. |
T1585 | Set up Accounts | Telekopye operators set up accounts at on-line marketplaces. | |
T1585.002 | Set up Accounts: E-mail Accounts | Telekopye operators arrange e-mail addresses related to the domains they register. | |
T1586.002 | Compromise Accounts: E-mail Accounts | Telekopye operators use compromised e-mail accounts to extend their stealthiness. | |
T1587.001 | Develop Capabilities: Malware | Telekopye is customized malware. | |
T1588.002 | Receive Capabilities: Device | Telekopye operators use further bots to launder cash, scrape market analysis, and implement DDoS safety. | |
Preliminary Entry | T1566.002 | Phishing: Spearphishing Hyperlink | Telekopye sends e-mail or SMS messages that comprise hyperlinks to phishing web sites. |
Assortment | T1056.003 | Enter Seize: Net Portal Seize | Net pages created by Telekopye seize delicate data and report it to the operators. |