Bitdefender unveils Scamio tool to tackle Discord scams

Bitdefender has announced the availability of its Scamio tool on Discord, aiming to help users protect themselves against various scams on the platform.

Discord is a platform with more than 200 million active users monthly, serving as a hub for diverse online communities. The increase in Discord's popularity has corresponded with a rise in scams targeting its users, according to findings from a recent six-month analysis by Bitdefender. The company's Chat Protection system intercepted thousands of malicious URLs on Discord, which included phishing links meant to steal login credentials, fake giveaways, and impersonation fraud.

The analysis revealed that approximately 20% of the links delivered via Discord were phishing schemes, another 20% were malware, and about 6% were linked to fraud, with over 50% of the intercepted links and messages tagged as untrusted and spam.

Among the most common scams on Discord are phishing scams, where scammers distribute messages promising free Nitro subscriptions, game downloads, or exclusive in-game content. These messages often redirect users to phishing sites aimed at stealing personal information or login credentials. Impersonation scams are also prevalent, where scammers pose as well-known figures or trusted community members to gain trust, solicit donations, or distribute malware. Additionally, phony giveaways are frequent, especially on Discord-dedicated cryptocurrency servers, often involving pump-and-dump schemes or wallet-draining phishing tactics targeting eager investors.

To counteract these threats, Bitdefender has launched Scamio on Discord. Scamio is a free, on-demand scam detector which now supports 1-on-1 conversations on the platform. It is designed to stay ahead of evolving scams by detecting not only Discord-specific threats but also general fraudulent and malicious content. "Bitdefender Scamio uses cutting-edge technology to help you stay ahead of emerging scams, no matter the delivery method. Scamio detects all types of potential scams, not just Discord-related ones, as well as fraudulent and malicious links.

It also educates users by offering real-time tips on how to identify scams and avoid risky behaviour," as stated in the press release.

The service will store message history and continue conversations to enhance its responses over time, allowing users to revisit verified scams and review personalised recommendations and detected red flags. Users can easily activate Bitdefender Scamio on their Discord account by visiting the Bitdefender website or scanning a QR code provided.

Once installed, users can engage with Scamio to check texts, links (including QR codes), and screenshots for potential malicious content.

The chatbot analyses and synthesises context and patterns to identify complex scams and fraud attempts, providing users a comprehensive overview of their safety status.

If further details are required, Scamio interacts back to gather more information and update its evaluation of the situation.

Bitdefender is encouraging users to start using Scamio and promote its capabilities within their gaming and community networks on Discord to enhance safety against scams and malicious activities. Scamio is also available at no cost on additional platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and web browsers.