Scam incidents in crypto are on the rise, with NFTs and tokens valued at over $4.4M stolen. There is an urgent need for better security.
NFT trader lost three Bored Ape Yacht Club collectibles worth approximately $145,000 to a phishing attack. PeckShield, an on-chain security firm, reported that the theft occurred on May 8, when BAYC NFTs #7531, #6736, and #2100 were transferred from the trader’s wallet, Tatis. eth, to a scammer’s account known as Pink Drainer.
The perpetrator quickly sold the stolen NFTs on NFT marketplaces Seaport and Blur for a total of 48.5 Ethereum (ETH), equivalent to around $145,000. This incident is part of a broader pattern of increased scam activities targeting the crypto community. For instance, this hacker group had previously stolen Chainlink (LINK) tokens valued at $4.4 million.
The frequency of such attacks spiked in the last quarter of the previous year. Notably, in October, the NFT The JPEG’d protocol alerted its community to counterfeit platforms designed to mimic its services and steal digital assets.
In another incident in December, Flooring Protocol, a liquidity solution for NFTs, was exploited due to vulnerabilities in its multi-call smart contracts, leading to substantial losses.
These recurring incidents underscore the urgency for enhanced security measures within the cryptocurrency and NFT ecosystems to safeguard users’ investments.