KickAss Torrents, one of the most popular torrent websites for movies, music, TV shows, software and gaming, has fallen victim to scare-ware advertising. Users trying to access the torrent website are getting a pop-up warning mimicking the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The intimidating error screen warns visitors that their confidential information such as credit cards, passwords and photos could be compromised due to a security threat. But in reality, nothing of that sort has occurred.
The error screen displays a message and a pop-up asking visitors to "contact tech support immediately." A reporter from The Register called the given number on the ad to find a member of the technical team on the other end. The error screen has the domain good-karma.info, which checks out to be based in Panama, a hub for scammers running Internet related cons, according to Whois-Domaintools.
As it appears, the IP location shows the call centers are using virtual numbers localised to target victims but the billing address reveals the link to Panama. The domain was created on 24, September, 2015.
Speaking to the so-called tech support agent, who spoke in a Panamanian accent and claimed to be working for an Internet security company, revealed the hackers are trying to gain control of the victims' computers by asking them to download a desktop client. But the operator hung up soon after the reporter offered money for exchanging information about his company.
KickAss Torrents hasn't commented on the latest attack but the site seemed functioning normally at the time of writing.
In operation since 2009, the website has nearly 332.5 million visitors each month.
