https://www.vavideo.de/sendung?id=NztLaW5ncyBvZiBTY2FtIMK3IE1pbGxpb25lbiBtaXQgRmFrZS1TTVM= de-de Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:45:31 +0000 Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:45:31 +0000 Vavideo https://www.vavideo.de/inhalt?id=3370941 https://www.vavideo.de/inhalt?id=3370941 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 05:28:00 +0000
What kind of person develops software that’s designed solely to rip people off, and then calls it Magic Cat? Our quest to find out leads us to China. Not only is the software’s creator “Darcula” Chinese, but our investigation shows a striking number of other scammers are as well. The Chinese government seems to be doing little to combat this. So who protects us – law enforcement, banks, or those whose names are used for the scam, like DHL? Victims try to get their lost money back, but it’s difficult. Then, after our initial report is published, the software developer goes into hiding, and Magic Cat goes offline. The system is down! But that doesn’t mean the scam is over...
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The scammers' software is called Magic Cat, and it's in Chinese. Everyone in the chat group writes in Chinese, too: they are young men in their mid-20s who brag about stolen credit cards, post receipts for luxury goods, and pose with expensive cars. One of them is particularly active and portrays himself as a "Scam King”: In this scammer chat group, he leaves digital traces that lead us to Bangkok and California. We set out on a search, both online and on the ground, because we have questions for the scammers. How does it feel to steal money from people on the other side of the world? Why do they do it? And do they tell their parents how they afford their luxurious lifestyle? 
→ Weitere Informationen ]]> https://www.vavideo.de/inhalt?id=3371023 https://www.vavideo.de/inhalt?id=3371023 Thu, 30 Jul 2026 05:22:00 +0000
There are German versions of the message, as well as English, Spanish, and Norwegian ones... They all involve a package that supposedly can’t be delivered. And the link in the message always has just one purpose: to get the credit card numbers of unsuspecting victims. This scam is called “smishing”: phishing via sms or text message. Victims around the globe are losing billions to these scammers. Two Norwegian hackers dove deep into the scammers’ software, a program called Magic Cat. Together with the hackers and journalists from Norway we find a Telegram chat group where the scammers communicate with each other and post about their crimes. One member is particularly active and portrays himself as a “Scam King.” He leaves enough digital clues that we begin to piece together who he really is.
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