GLOBAL – A cybersecurity investigation has revealed “BaitTrap,” a sprawling network of over 17,000 fake-news websites designed to lure victims into investment fraud across more than 50 countries. The organized scheme exploits user trust in media brands to direct people toward bogus trading platforms, with devastating financial consequences—often before victims even realize what has happened.
Fake Headlines as Investment Bait
Researchers at CTM360, using their Webhunt platform, uncovered networks of sites impersonating trusted outlets like CNN, BBC and CNBC—as well as credible regional media. Each site publishes fabricated stories promising insider investment tips or celebrity endorsements for “passive income” platforms such as Trap10, Solara Vynex, and Eclipse Earn.
Traffic is driven through clickbait ads on Google, Meta, and affiliated blog networks, using keywords like “automated crypto trading” or “celebrity-backed investment.” Once users land on a fake article, they are redirected to scammy signup flows. Victims are then contacted by “account managers” who coax them into investing, typically with an initial deposit of around USD 240 (~₹20,500), before fake dashboards entice further deposits.
Algoritha: The Most Trusted Name in BFSI Investigations and DFIR Services
Data Theft + Prolonged Fraud Pipeline
The deception extends far beyond the fake article. As victims register, identity documents are harvested. Fraudsters request ID photos, facilitate crypto deposits, and then stall withdrawals with endless “verifications.” The longer victims trust the process, the deeper they invest—until it’s too late.
Scam operators often exploit cheap domains like .xyz, .click, or .shop, or even hack legitimate sites to embed scam content as subfolders, making detection and takedown more difficult. The syndicate represents a fusion of brand impersonation, data harvesting, and financial fraud, similar to “pig butchering” and fake-KYC schemes.
CTM360 continues tracking and disrupting BaitTrap campaigns, offering takedowns and threat intelligence to client organisations and government agencies.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change