After DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) platform swept the world, quickly rising as a strong contender to the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini, it was only a matter of time before fraudsters would start exploiting its popularity to scam unsuspecting folks out of their hard-earned money.
As it happens, the Chinese government said that a criminal gang had recently raised funds in the name of the ‘DeepSeek blockchain project,’ while other criminals promoted the ‘DeepSeekCoin’ in fake ‘official groups,’ only to disappear with investors’ funds, according to the warning issued on March 1.
Depth of the DeepSeek scam
It appears that these criminals falsely claimed they created their platform using DeepSeek technology, promoting it as a secure and lucrative investment opportunity, and guaranteeing profits of over 10,000 yuan ($1,373) per month through the platform’s fake crypto token.
However, after launching the crowdfunding campaigns, they would simply vanish with the funds.
On top of that, they sold a tutorial at 39.9 yuan ($5.50) that they said would help users learn how to write viral content, but only four pages out of 104 contained relevant material, while the rest of the information was freely available through a simple online search.
In another scheme, they set up fake ‘monetization training camps,’ with courses charged between 299 yuan ($41) and 399 yuan ($55), only to end up being absolutely pointless. And that’s not all they came up with.
They even created fake DeepSeek communities presented as official groups, promoted ‘internal test qualifications’ and ‘advanced courses,’ and tied it all up nicely with a bow called DeepSeekCoin – a fake cryptocurrency they praised as having strong technical foundations.
That said, the DeepSeek team had distanced itself back in January from any crypto tokens falsely claiming association with it, stating that:
“DeepSeek has not issued any cryptocurrency. Currently, there is only one official account on the Twitter platform. We will not contact anyone through other accounts. Please stay vigilant and guard against potential scams.”
DeepSeek malware
At the same time, there has been a growing number of fake DeepSeek applications infected with malware, compromising users’ data and security, and which the cybercriminals distributed disguised under names such as DeepSeek.apk, DeepSeek.exe, DeepSeek.dmg, DeepSeek.msi, and so on.
After installation, the fake apps prompt users to download updates with malicious code, which then gains entry to the system, stealing sensitive data like personal information, contacts, and messages. Additionally, the app’s code may prevent users from uninstalling it from their devices.
Per the Chinese authorities:
“It is expected that in the future, the number of viral Trojans of various artificial intelligence applications, including the impersonation of DeepSeek, will increase.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan has banned its public sector employees, including in government agencies, public schools, state-owned enterprises, and critical infrastructure projects, from using DeepSeek, citing security concerns and potential cybersecurity threats linked to DeepSeek products.
The authorities’ action followed a cyberattack known as the Fake DeepSeek Campaign that targeted macOS users through the distribution of Poseidon Stealer, an advanced malware designed to spread via phishing links and compromised websites and steal sensitive information.
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