The domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has issued a public warning against crypto scammers that use phishing to target victims and social media account hackers. The Twitter accounts of some of the biggest names in the crypto and political spaces have been hacked over the years to promote fraudulent crypto schemes
In a publicly shared announcement, the FBI pointed out the existence of certain spoof websites that make use of UIs identical to legitimate platforms to dupe users and get their personal details, draining their accounts. Many people have lost their non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to such accounts, thinking that they were legitimate
According to the FBI, the number of people in the crypto space who have lost significant money to phishing attackers and hackers of social media accounts continues to pile up, and the usage of these two methods is also increasing. In the announcement, the federal agency asked people to remain aware of “criminal actors posing as legitimate NFT developers in financial fraud schemes targeting active users within the NFT community.”
“Criminals either gain direct access to NFT developer social media accounts or create almost identical accounts to promote new NFT releases. Fraudulent posts often aim to create a sense of urgency, using phrases like ‘limited supply,’ and refer to the promotion as a ‘surprise’ or previously unannounced mint,” said the FBI.
The general trend followed by the websites created by scammers includes copying the UI of a legitimate platform and asking investors to connect their wallets to gain access to airdrops or other lucrative deals. As a result, the scammers get access to these wallets and drain the money in the account, as noted by the FBI
🚨 #Scammers are hijacking #social media accounts to impersonate crypto figures, warns FBI. Fraudulent sites also trick users into losing #NFTs & #crypto. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/sPjGszSyPJ
— 1ATH.Studio (@1ATHStudio) August 6, 2023
“Links provided in these announcements are phishing links directing victims to a spoofed website that appears to be a legitimate extension of a particular NFT project,” the FBI added.
As reported earlier by Bitnation, the FBI recently warned members of the crypto space against the recent spike in labor trafficking linked to a surge in cryptocurrency-related frauds. The new trend involves scammers using fake employment ads to lure people into fraud facilities throughout Southeast Asia
