Russia warns about cryptocurrency theft through "tap games"

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has warned Telegram users about a rise in cryptocurrency fraud cases involving mini-games known as "tap games." This was reported by the ministry’s press service.

These scams occur through fraudulent projects. Scammers create a game and then promote it through messengers and social networks. Players are asked to perform simple actions in exchange for tokens within the game, which the so-called "developers" claim can be converted into cryptocurrency. To earn more, players are offered the chance to purchase a "premium package" or upgrade their character’s abilities for real money. When the user tries to withdraw funds, they are again asked to top up their in-game balance.

There is also a second scheme — criminals create fake platforms, offering players the chance to withdraw the tokens they earned in the game or claim bonuses. To do so, users are asked to log in via Telegram or link their crypto wallet, after which the scammers gain access to players’ accounts and steal their assets.

The third scheme involves spreading malicious software disguised as other crypto projects. Once the infected software is installed, it steals the seed phrase from the user’s crypto wallets.