ESET Research
Take a peek into the murky world of cybercrime where groups of scammers who go by the nickname of ‘Neanderthals’ wield the Telekopye toolkit to ensnare unsuspecting victims they call ‘Mammoths’
20 Dec 2024
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1 min. read
Neanderthals hunting Mammoths are back. Of course, we’re not talking about some Jurassic-Park-like technology that resurrected them in a remote region. No, this episode of ESET Research Podcast returns to the malicious operation of dozens of cybercriminal groups (Neanderthals) targeting inexperienced users (Mammoths) on online marketplaces, using a malicious Telegram bot known as Telekopye.
Discussing the topic, ESET Research Podcast host Aryeh Goretsky, and ESET malware researchers, Radek Jizba and Jakub Soucek, revisit and update the information ESET has gathered about the cybercriminal ecosystem. Apart from that, they dive deep into the most frequent scenarios used by the attackers and map out the expanded hunting grounds of the Neanderthals.
This podcast episode also offers technical details about the workings of the Telekopye bot and explains social engineering techniques employed by the scammers, so whether you’re a seasoned security professional or a casual listener, you’ll find valuable insights and practical advice on how to avoid the risk.
In addition, our guests touch upon the recent operations ‘RIP’ and ‘Victory’ by Czech and Ukrainian police forces and evaluate their impact on cybercriminal groups.
For more in-depth information about the Telekopye bot and the ‘Neanderthal’ operations, don’t forget to check out ESET’s latest research papers. To stay up to date on the latest in security research, follow ESET Research on X and visit WeLiveSecurity.com. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe for more on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or PodBean.