14 DAY TRIAL // Bitcoin is gaining ground all over the world, especially now that its value has increased considerably. As more and more companies accept payments in Bitcoins, cybercriminals also turn their attention to the virtual currency.
Over the past weeks, we’ve seen a lot of Bitcoin-related websites being hacked. However, that’s not the only way cybercriminals can gain access to wallets.
Security researchers from Trusteer have come across a variant of the Citadel Trojan that’s capable of capturing screenshots when the users of infected computers visit Bitcoin-related websites such as BTCsec.com, bitcoin.org or bitcoin-trade.biz.
In addition to Bitcoin websites, the threat also targets websites related to other payment systems such as Perfect Money, Yandex Money or Web Money. Trusteer warns that we should expect other pieces of malware designed to target the platform.
Experts say that more and more discussions regarding the use of Bitcoin and other payment systems for cybercriminal activities are taking place on underground forums.
Some aren’t too keen on using Bitcoins to cash out their criminal proceeds, mainly because it’s so volatile.
“Bitcoin can’t serve as a method of accumulating money, since this is just a toy at the hand of speculators. It’s much easier to register/buy a disposable/verified account rather than try cashing out BTC. So that’s PM+ BTC-,” one user said.
“WM and PM are regular anonymous payment systems (WM is more formal, PM is straight-on-fake info), knock on wood, everything is good. I use them daily, cashing out a minimum of $1K per week,” another cybercriminal noted.
On the other hand, there are many on the cybercriminal underground who support the use of the virtual currency. Some of them even say they might drop other payment systems completely in the future.