URL of Scam: anarchycoin.io

Type of Scam: Phishing / Miner Scam
Amount Lost: $15,052.00

Victim Description:

The victim reported sending Ether from Kraken to their MetaMask wallet, using the correct address. However, they were scammed due to a mining scam or a testnet vulnerability within Kraken’s server environment. This likely involved the attacker using a testnet or a fake miner service to intercept or reroute the transaction, resulting in the victim’s funds being sent to fraudulent addresses instead of their intended MetaMask wallet.

Cryptocurrency Addresses Used:

0x5d267900b71b0170ccd1c5405eae6c7fc4a62317
0x02d53d4d974b362e938996a8f9bb6e6b32dbea23
0xe48a415a24952de9483115f47a1e341b1cc3619b
0x8fb8449715a2382eefe2781133b0d85bd9a3cc69
0x1A69efC523f2a755b1Ea0Cd063e45de3b81d59d3

Open-Source Intelligence Analysis: Key Details of anarchycoin.io Scam
Scam Overview:

The victim intended to send Ether from Kraken to their MetaMask wallet but was tricked by a scam that involved a miner or testnet vulnerability. The scam likely relied on a man-in-the-middle attack, where the fraudulent platform intercepted the transaction or manipulated the wallet addresses. Testnet transactions are often used in phishing scams to confuse the victim into thinking the transfer was legitimate. However, the real transactions were rerouted to the scammer’s addresses, resulting in a loss of $15,052.

Domain and Hosting Information:

Domain Name: anarchycoin.io
Registrar: NameCheap, Inc.
Registration Details:Registered On: April 28, 2023
Expires On: April 28, 2025
Updated On: April 16, 2024
Registrar Status: ClientTransferProhibited (indicating the domain is locked to prevent unauthorized transfer)
Name Servers:dns1.registrar-servers.com
dns2.registrar-servers.com

The domain anarchycoin.io is relatively new, registered only in 2023, and is likely to be a fraudulent or deceptive platform. The fact that it has been recently registered and the use of the .io extension may signal a lack of legitimacy, as many scam websites use this extension to appear more “modern” or “tech-savvy.”

Scammer’s Tactics:

Phishing / Fake Miner Scam: The scam likely involved a fraudulent mining service or a phishing mechanism where the victim’s transaction was redirected. The scam may have involved using testnet addresses or network manipulations, confusing the victim into thinking they were making a legitimate transfer to their MetaMask wallet.
Misleading Transaction Details: The victim likely pasted the correct address from their MetaMask wallet into Kraken, but the scammer’s system either intercepted the transaction or showed a “test” network on Kraken’s interface, leading the victim to unknowingly send the funds to the scammer’s wallet.
Fake Mining Service: Another possible element is the use of a fake miner that mimicked the appearance of an actual mining service but was designed to extract funds from users without completing any actual mining or transaction validation.

Recommendations:
Investigate the Wallet Addresses: The cryptocurrency wallet addresses used by the scammer (0x5d267900b71b0170ccd1c5405eae6c7fc4a62317, 0x02d53d4d974b362e938996a8f9bb6e6b32dbea23, etc.) should be traced using blockchain explorers like Etherscan. This may help identify other victims and trace any suspicious activity or fund movement associated with these addresses.
Contact Kraken Support: Kraken should be contacted immediately to report the incident and investigate whether any vulnerabilities on their platform allowed the scam to occur, particularly concerning the testnet functionality and its possible misuse.
File a Report: The victim should report the scam to appropriate authorities (such as the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or their local law enforcement) to track down the scammers and prevent further losses.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If not already done, the victim should enable 2FA on all their cryptocurrency platforms and wallets to prevent future phishing attacks and unauthorized access to their accounts.
Cease Further Communication with Scammers: The victim should block any contact from the scammers and avoid sending any additional funds.

Conclusion:
The anarchycoin.io scam is a phishing or testnet scam, where the victim unknowingly sent $15,052 worth of Ether to fraudulent wallet addresses, believing they were making a legitimate transfer to their MetaMask wallet. The scam likely involved testnet confusion or a man-in-the-middle attack on Kraken’s platform. Given the suspicious nature of the scam, including the newly registered domain and fraudulent wallet addresses, it is highly recommended that the victim report the scam to Kraken and law enforcement.