The FBI Sends a Strict Warning to Crypto Users

The FBI warns of hackers taking over social media accounts and pretending to be real people in the NFT and cryptocurrency fields. It also said that fake websites trick people into thinking they are using safe platforms to steal their NFTs or cryptocurrency. 

The FBI shared this on August 4 because of rising scams where people lose their money from fake social media accounts and websites. A recent example includes a phishing link from the social media account of Uniswap founder, Hayden Adams. 

According to the FBI, criminals either take over NFT developer's social media accounts or create similar ones to promote new NFT releases. These fake posts often create a sense of urgency with phrases like 'limited supply.' The links in these posts lead to fake websites that seem to be a part of a real NFT project. 

Most of the time, these fake websites encourage people to connect their wallets to buy or claim NFTs, but they are connected to a smart contract that drains their money. 

However, losing money can sometimes be more complicated. For example, one user clicked on a fake NFT marketplace website but didn't connect their wallet. Still, they lost more than $300,000 worth of NFTs. 

Shockingly, the fake website was a paid ad at the top of Google's search results. People are still unsure how the victim could have lost their NFTs without connecting their wallet. Some people think a virus allowed the scam website to take over the victim's computer.

The same day, Scam Sniffer, a platform against scams, tweeted that someone lost $446,000 worth of Bitcoin, Ether, and Pepe to a phishing link. 

The FBI gave some tips to help people protect themselves from these scams. It emphasized that people should research any opportunity like surprise NFT drops or giveaways before clicking on links. The FBI also suggested that people should check website URLs or account names twice to avoid scams.