Scam Alert: Rogue Website Lures Flipper Zero Fans with Fake Offers

A rogue website posing as a legitimate platform for Flipper Devices has recently been discovered luring unsuspecting visitors into a scam that offers a free Flipper Zero device. The highly versatile, portable multi-tool cybersecurity device is coveted for its multifarious features, including RFID emulation, NFC, infrared, Bluetooth, digital key access cloning and radio communications.

The impostor website was advertised on Reddit and various other social media platforms, BleepingComputer reported. A significant red flag is that the site offers a 'free' Flipper Zero to users who complete an online offer. The site looks authentic, even going so far as to hold the original website's copyright notice and links to its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy pages.

However, closer inspection reveals a more sinister agenda: the site directs most of its other links to trkrspace[.]com, a platform notorious for hosting browser notification scams, false surveys and dubious browser extensions.

These "offers" are often set up to be exceedingly difficult, requiring users to complete unnecessary tasks such as downloading a game and reaching a certain level or registering an account on a platform and depositing a large sum of money.

These steps are designed to encourage users to follow through to claim their "prize," but only after the scammers have collected vital private data, including names, email addresses and more. The information is later used for targeted phishing and other nefarious activities.

BleepingComputer further revealed that interacting with the browser notifications on the phony website led to tech support scams with false messages indicating system overloads, the need for shady security software installations, or failed subscription payment notifications.

Flipper Devices has denied any affiliation with the website and is reportedly working to take it offline to protect its customers.

Given Flipper Zero's growing popularity and restrictions imposed in certain countries, along with Amazon's decision to remove all Flipper Zero entries on allegations that it's a card-skimming tool, people's desire to obtain the device has intensified, making them an easy target for such scams.

The public is cautioned to only use the legitimate website or well-established retail stores to obtain the device and steer clear of scams or other sites claiming to offer Flipper Zeros for free, or any other unconventional deal.

This is not the first such scam. Earlier this year, a similar fake website was found promoting Flipper Zero devices, specifically targeting members of the cybersecurity community. However, that campaign was more sophisticated than the current one and only accepted payments in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

In other news, Flipper Zero recently launched its mobile app store, Flipper Apps, further enhancing its appeal and versatility.

Specialized tools like Bitdefender Ultimate Security can keep you safe from scam attempts and other cyberthreats, with features like:

• Anti-fraud technology that warns you whenever you visit websites that might try to scam you
• Anti-phishing module that detects and blocks websites that pose as legitimate ones to steal your data or funds
• Web attack prevention technology that identifies unsafe search results before you click on links, and blocks all known infected links
• Network threat prevention module that identifies and blocks suspicious network-level activities, such as malware- and botnet-related URLs, sophisticated exploits, and brute-force attacks