Scarlet Widow Part 2: BEC Bitcoin Laundry—Scam, Rinse, Repeat

Part 2: Nigeria-Based Scammer Group Targets Nonprofits and Schools; Launders Stolen Gift Cards Through Online Cryptocurrency Exchanges

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Scarlet Widow Part 2

While many cybercriminal gangs scam medium-sized and large corporations, Agari has now uncovered and documented the practices of a Nigeria-based scammer group, dubbed Scarlet Widow, that has evolved a different strategy focused on more vulnerable sectors such as school districts, universities, and nonprofits.

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Scarlet Widow Part 2

In this report, we uncover:

  • How Scarlet Widow transitioned from romance scams to tax fraud to BEC
  • Why the group focuses on school districts, universities, and nonprofits
  • What kinds of emails Scarlet Widow uses to target their victims, and
  • How the cybercriminals launder the money through legitimate online services

Download Scarlet Widow: BEC Bitcoin Laundry—Scam, Rinse, Repeat to see why cybercriminals are going after more vulnerable populations in their scams.