{"id":6439,"date":"2019-01-17T13:53:30","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T13:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/fake-bbc-news-page-used-to-promote-bitcoin-themed-scheme\/"},"modified":"2019-01-17T13:53:30","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T13:53:30","slug":"fake-bbc-news-page-used-to-promote-bitcoin-themed-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/fake-bbc-news-page-used-to-promote-bitcoin-themed-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake BBC News page used to promote Bitcoin-themed scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n One sign that the webpage is fake is that it uses the wrong font
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An investment scheme is using a fake BBC News webpage to convince members of the public to hand over funds.<\/p>\n

The spoof page references a Bitcoin-themed documentary broadcast by Panorama last year, but links on the page direct visitors to a site promising to make them a millionaire.<\/p>\n

Reports indicate that the fake page is being spread via emails<\/a> sent from hacked accounts.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for the BBC said it is looking into how best to respond.<\/p>\n

The Financial Conduct Authority has previously issued a warning about an earlier scheme run under the same Bitcoin Trader branding<\/a> that features in the latest effort.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time an attempt has been made to link the brand to the BBC.<\/p>\n

Last year, adverts appeared on social media and elsewhere falsely claiming that a trading platform operating under the same name had been backed by several of Dragons’ Den’s stars. <\/p>\n

Two of the show’s entrepreneurs – Deborah Meaden<\/a> and Peter Jones<\/a> – subsequently issued denials.<\/p>\n

Ads also claimed that Lord Alan Sugar had quit The Apprentice to help promote its software, leading the businessman to tweet that he had contacted the police.<\/p>\n

In addition, the former BBC journalist Martin Lewis – who now runs the MoneySavingExpert site – launched legal action against Facebook<\/a> after it failed to remove fake ads suggesting he was also involved<\/a>. <\/p>\n

And Sir Richard Branson has also warned that fake CNN news pages had been created<\/a> to make it seem that he had endorsed a Bitcoin Trader-branded scheme.<\/p>\n

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\n Sir Richard previously warned the public of a fake CNN Tech page
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It is not, however, clear whether the people behind the effort are the same as before.<\/p>\n

Countdown timer<\/h2>\n

The fake BBC News page contains a lengthy article describing an “underground banking system” that allows investors to turn small deposits into “a fortune”.<\/p>\n

It presents a case study of one individual who supposedly saw an investment of less than \u00a3300 grow into nearly \u00a3900,000.<\/p>\n

At the bottom of the page, a countdown clock indicates that there is little time remaining to enrol in the venture.<\/p>\n

City of London Police’s cyber-crime team has previously warned users against this tactic.<\/p>\n

“Always be wary if you’re pressured to invest quickly or promised returns that sound too good to be true,” it said when it discussed the con last April.<\/p>\n

One of the indications the latest bogus webpage is fake is its address, which does not correspond to the bbc.co.uk or bbc.com domains used by the broadcaster.<\/p>\n

One cyber-security expert said members of the public who receive emails urging them to click any link with an unusual address should in general be cautious of doing so.<\/p>\n

“If you are suspicious of any email, search for the page or website in Google rather than clicking the link,” suggested Lisa Forte, from Red Goat Cyber Security.<\/p>\n

“And if you receive the email at work, let your IT team know so they can deal with it appropriately.” <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n