- Crypto scammer posing as crypto influencer Ansem steals $2.6 million in Solana tokens from victims using fake ‘BULL’ token presale.
- On-chain detective ZachXBT reveals the scam; largest victim loses $1.2 million, with ongoing similar scams.
- Amid rising meme coin interest, 57,000 people fell victim to crypto scams in February, losing over $47 million.
An imposter claiming to be the well-known crypto influencer Ansem stole over $2.6 million in Solana tokens (SOL).
The scam unfolded on X (formerly Twitter), leveraging the meme coin frenzy to lure investors into a fake presale for a nonexistent token dubbed “BULL.”
Amidst the meme coin frenzy promising quick returns, investors must be aware and not fall victim to scammers.
How Crypto Scammer Tricked the Community
ZachXBT, an on-chain detective, reported this audacious heist.
An account impersonating @blknoiz06 phished >$2.6M today just by replying to each of his posts taking advantage of the recent meme coin craze.
The largest single victim lost ~$1.2M.
Theft address
BUYgBfavHoGbfGYseyTWpzqKNeeYFjoJsgxiQcH4in4v pic.twitter.com/ZKcoh5vaOs— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) March 16, 2024
The fraudster, mimicking Ansem, advertised the bogus ‘BULL’ token presale in replies to Ansem’s legitimate tweets.
This elaborate ruse led to significant losses, with the largest victim losing nearly $1.2 million.
Even after ZachXBT’s post, the crypto scammers stole over $250,000.
Another ~$250K stolen since my post lol
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) March 17, 2024
Notably, scammers continue the same modus operandi on other accounts as well.
Attention: the same is happening on multiple accounts.
Ffs, DYOR and stay safe. https://t.co/ZgPkboteXl pic.twitter.com/Luzn6EFdJ7
— Vitto Rivabella (@VittoStack) March 17, 2024
“$2.6 million sent to an account? Why would anyone send tokens to an account just like that when it takes a few lines of code to implement a sale smart contract?” X user Robert Sasu wrote.
2.6millions sent to an Account?
At least in the ICO graze it was through immutable smart contracts.
Why would anyone send tokens to an account just like that, when it takes a few lines of code to implement a sale SC?
— Robert Sasu (@SasuRobert) March 17, 2024
This scam occurred during the rapid ascent of the Book of Meme (BOME) token. BOME, a meme coin on the Solana blockchain, gained traction swiftly, particularly after its listing on Binance.
Scam Sniffer reported that 57,000 people fell prey to crypto scams in February, incurring collective losses of around $47 million. Primarily, these scams were phishing attacks executed on social media platforms.
The Ethereum mainnet was the most affected, with users losing 78% of the total stolen funds. Notably, Ethereum-based ERC20 tokens represented the bulk of the losses, amounting to $40 million.
Despite a 75% reduction in individuals losing over $1 million, a significant theft of $6.2 million occurred on a single day in February.
The tactics used by scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
They often impersonate verified accounts of crypto entities on social media, particularly on X. Phishing signatures like Permit, IncreaseAllowance, and Uniswap Permit2 are among their techniques.
Additionally, the number of scam victims surged by over 10,000 in just one month. However, there was a slight decrease in the total amount stolen.
This trend indicates a growing threat of phishing attacks in the crypto ecosystem.
Investors should exercise caution, especially during times of intense market activity. Verifying the legitimacy of investment opportunities is crucial to avoid falling victim to such scams.
#Binance #WRITE2EARN
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