Crypto Scam Promises Earnings for Running: Kaspersky Warns
Kaspersky Lab has issued a warning about a new cryptocurrency scam targeting Russian-speaking users. Scammers are promoting a scheme based on the Move-To-Earn (M2E) model, claiming people can earn crypto by running.
How the Scam Works
According to researchers, the scammers have created a service that mimics a popular M2E project. Users are told to log in through a Telegram bot, receive virtual NFT sneakers, and rent them out to runners to earn commissions. In reality, the scammers are simply tricking people into giving them money.
The fake project is advertised on social media. To join, users must first authorize via a Telegram bot, which then sends them a link to a fraudulent website.
Deceptive Earning Model
On the website, users are invited to select a free model of NFT sneakers and assign them to one of four “runners,” each with a brief profile including name, age, country, and other details. The scammers claim that users will receive 50% of the runner’s earnings from their daily runs, credited to an internal wallet. Supposedly, the free sneakers generate an income of 100 rubles per hour. To increase earnings, users are encouraged to buy rarer sneakers, priced from 199 to 5,999 rubles. The most expensive sneakers are said to bring in up to 2,000 rubles per hour.
Bonuses and Referral System
The project also features a bonus system: 200 rubles for subscribing to a Telegram channel and 299 rubles for each friend referred. The bot regularly posts promo codes for sneakers and announces special offers. Allegedly, all participant earnings are backed by trading the Solana token on an exchange—the more players, the higher the token’s value.
Withdrawal Trap
When a user tries to withdraw their earnings (from 400 to 15,000 rubles), they are asked to enter their bank card number and the desired amount. However, the transaction cannot be completed. The victim is told they lack 199 “rubies,” the project’s internal currency required for withdrawals. To get these rubies, users are asked to transfer real money to a private individual.
As a result, scammers can extract between 199 and 995 rubles for rubies and up to 5,999 rubles for more expensive sneakers. Users receive nothing in return and risk compromising their payment information.
Expert Commentary
“Scammers often exploit the hype around cryptocurrencies and NFTs, as people associate them with easy money. The fraudsters didn’t even have to invent a new story—they simply copied an existing project with well-thought-out conditions. However, when users are asked to transfer money to a private individual, that should be a red flag. The scammers aggressively monetize their scheme, extracting money for both premium sneakers and rubies. The spread of such scams is a reminder not to trust offers that seem too good to be true,” commented Olga Svistunova, Senior Content Analyst at Kaspersky Lab.