Google Ad For Sony’s Blockchain Soneium Found To Be Crypto Wallet Drainer

According to Cointelegraph, a sponsored ad on Google appearing as a website link for Sony’s blockchain Soneium has been identified as a crypto wallet drainer by Scam Sniffer. The blockchain security firm revealed in an Oct. 22 post on X that an ad surfaced when searching for 'someium' on Google, leading to a malicious website containing a wallet drainer. The firm emphasized that phishing can occur when users are not vigilant, even if they mistakenly spell 'soneium' as 'someium.' Cointelegraph was unable to replicate the search results. Scam Sniffer shared the alleged phishing link with Cointelegraph, which used a different domain suffix from Soneium’s official website and appeared as an incomplete landing page for a British-based radiology service. Scam Sniffer explained that the website’s creators employed specific techniques to conceal the malicious page from Google, making it difficult for the search engine to detect it. Google has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the alleged phishing link. Soneium is an Ethereum layer 2 blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, a joint venture between Sony and blockchain firm Startale Labs, which launched its testnet in August. Earlier this month, Scam Sniffer reported that over $46 million worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from 10,800 victims of phishing scams in September. The firm also noted that more than $127 million worth of cryptocurrencies were stolen from investors in the third quarter of 2024, with Ether (ETH) wallets being the primary target of crypto phishing attacks. In late April, Scam Sniffer reported that over $4 million had been stolen within a few weeks from users who fell for malicious phishing websites promoted on Google Search. Scammers had acquired domain names similar to those of crypto brands and protocols, with slight modifications that made it challenging for users to recognize the malicious links.