Hackers Steal $580,000 With Fake Airdrop Links In Email Phishing Scam

• Hackers stole $580,000 from crypto users by promoting fake token airdrop links through an email phishing scam.
• Hackers used established names like CoinTelegraph, Wallet Connect and Token Terminal to dupe users.

Hackers have managed to steal $580,000 with the promotion of fake airdrops by accessing the wallets of cryptocurrency users through phishing emails.

Rug pull survivor turned detective ZachXBT posted a “Community Alert” regarding phishing emails holding the tag name of CoinTelegraph, Wallet Connect, Token Terminal and DeFi team. 

The tweet provided a multichain address and indicated that $580,000 has been stolen as of its last update.

Community Alert: Phishing emails are currently being sent out that appear to be from CoinTelegraph, Wallet Connect, Token Terminal and DeFi team emails.

~$580K has been stolen so far
0xe7D13137923142A0424771E1778865b88752B3c7 pic.twitter.com/XoN65HxOYh

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) January 23, 2024

He noted the address holds almost 280 types of cryptocurrency tokens where Ethereum leads accounting for 86% (or 227 ETH) of the total portfolio.

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The phishing mails disseminate the following news:

• CoinTelegraph is staging its 10-year anniversary event to offer exclusive airdrop to its dedicated subscribers.
• Token Terminal is announcing the launch of the beta version of TokenTerminal and offering an airdrop.
• WalletConnect is highlighting the airdrop as rare opportunity
• Launchpad is revealing that this is the launch of its new airdrop token.

All the targeted companies have issued warnings not to click on emails containing this information.

The antivirus application De.Fi was also targeted by the same email scam with an airdrop link attached.

Many social media users expressed surprise that the crypto community could fall victim to such attacks in 2024. 

However, as ZachXBT and some users explained, the scam emails came from official-looking addresses, enabling their success.

These incidents highlight the need for emergency measures to protect the crypto community from phishing scams. Users should:

• Enable multi-factor authentication.
• Use hardware wallets.
• Stay alert about the latest attacks.

Cases like the Trezor breach demonstrate hackers’ ability to compromise legitimate sources. Constant vigilance is essential, along with proactive security steps by companies and individuals.