Crypto scammers impersonate Binance exec for $210k haul

As a researcher with experience in the cryptocurrency space, I’m deeply concerned about the recent wave of scams targeting crypto community members, particularly during airdrops and phishing campaigns. The warning from Binance co-founder Yi He is a stark reminder of how vulnerable we all are to these nefarious actors.


As a crypto investor, I’d like to share a warning from Binance co-founder Yi He. She has recently cautioned the entire cryptocurrency community about fraudsters pretending to be her and orchestrating phishing schemes. Stay vigilant and double-check any communication that appears to be from Yi He or Binance to ensure its authenticity.

Based on He’s announcement on Friday, criminals managed to steal 60 Ether (ETH) from an unsuspecting victim. It is believed that the individual clicked on a harmful link under the assumption that it was being shared by a Binance executive, presumably for a digital asset giveaway.

He urged caution among blockchain users and community members, warning them about the prevalence of fraudulent accounts. These deceitful individuals often misuse the names and reputations of well-known personalities, businesses, or other public figures to carry out their unscrupulous schemes.

I’ve noticed that malicious actors have targeted social media accounts before, including those of CoinGecko, Vitalik Buterin of Ethereum, and MicroStrategy. Additionally, deep fakes created by artificial intelligence have reportedly been used to set up a phishing scam on YouTube that gained significant attention earlier this month.

Crypto airdrops under siege

Social network X has become notoriously susceptible to scams, with fraudsters frequently posing as web3 protocols during airdrops to deceive unsuspecting users and misappropriate their funds.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed an alarming trend: the rise of malicious platforms impersonating Ethereum scaling solution zkSync. According to Blockaid, this number has more than doubled since their token distribution plan was announced. The CEO and co-founder of Blockaid, Ido Ben-Natan, shared with crypto.news that these scammers may be using X ads to target all zero-knowledge (ZK) accounts during this period. It’s crucial for us as investors to stay vigilant and double-check the authenticity of any information we receive.

As a researcher studying the blockchain industry, I’ve noticed an emerging pattern of malicious activity: bad actors attempt to capitalize on the hype surrounding airdrops in the nascent sector to steal digital assets. This trend became apparent with incidents involving Starknet and EigenLayer, both of which announced airdrops.

As an eager crypto investor, I’m certainly thrilled about the upcoming $ZK airdrop from ZkSync. But it seems that not everyone sharing this excitement is genuine – scammers are on the prowl!

— Blockaid (@blockaid_) June 13, 2024

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2024-06-14 18:44