WBTC thief spreads $71M loot across multiple crypto wallets

As an experienced analyst in the cryptocurrency space, I find the recent $71 million wallet impersonation scam to be yet another unfortunate reminder of the risks involved in this rapidly evolving industry. The stolen funds being on the move after six days of silence is a concerning development that underscores the importance of vigilance and due diligence when dealing with digital assets.


Approximately $71 million worth of cryptocurrency taken in a wallet impersonation scam six days ago is now being transferred to new locations.

As a crypto investor, I came across a disappointing incident on May 3rd. I had transferred $71 million worth of Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) unknowingly to a deceitful wallet address. The scammer had cleverly set up a wallet with characters resembling mine, and made a small, seemingly harmless transaction to my account first. This is known as a wallet poisoning scam – the scammer then drained my WBTC holdings. A valuable lesson learned the hard way: always double-check wallet addresses before making large transactions.

Many investors, including the unfortunate one, verified wallet addresses by checking the initial and final characters before transferring 97% of their wealth. But a telltale sign of discrepancy could have been spotted in the middle characters, which are frequently concealed on investment platforms to enhance appearance.

WBTC thief spreads $71M loot across multiple crypto wallets

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that hackers frequently convert stolen cryptocurrencies into Ether (ETH) due to its compatibility with privacy protocols like Tornado Cash. In this instance, the thief was no exception. The stolen 1,155 WBTC were swiftly exchanged for approximately 23,000 ETH and remained undisturbed in their wallet for a six-day span.

As a researcher, I discovered on May 8 that PeckShield, a blockchain investigation firm, identified some of the stolen funds being laundered. The crafty scammer then fragmented the ill-gotten gains into smaller portions and transferred them to various crypto wallets.

WBTC thief spreads $71M loot across multiple crypto wallets

As a financial analyst, I’ve uncovered some intriguing details about a recent cryptocurrency heist. The perpetrator employed approximately 400 different wallets in an attempt to dilute the stolen funds and minimize their traceability. Subsequently, these funds were distributed across more than 150 wallets. At present, I’m unable to pinpoint the exact identity of the scammer responsible for this crime, but all the ill-gotten gains remain connected to their initial source.

Scammers and hackers targeting cryptocurrencies tend to be more prevalent during market uptrends. Check out CryptoMoon’s comprehensive guide for securely storing your digital assets.

A new type of scam allows bad actors to drain users’ wallets without transaction approval.

As a researcher studying cryptocurrency scams, I’ve discovered that these deceitful schemes specifically target tokens adhering to the ERC-2612 standard. This particular token standard enables “gas-less” transfers or transactions carried out by wallets devoid of Ether (ETH).

To facilitate approval-free transactions, users unknowingly have to authenticate a message. An investigation conducted by CryptoMoon revealed that this deceitful scheme was masterminded by a fraudulent Telegram group, disguised as Collab.Land’s verification system.

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2024-05-08 11:22