Falling victim to impersonator scams in the crypto space has become alarmingly easy, especially as scammers increasingly mimic official accounts and projects to dupe unsuspecting users.
The primary objective of these impersonators is to trick users into parting with their tokens.
They might announce fake giveaways, airdrops, or exclusive investment opportunities, enticing users with promises of high returns or special rewards.
Despite increasing awareness, many people still fall prey to these scams.
For instance, even experienced investors have been tricked by fake posts and links, resulting in significant financial losses.
The sophisticated nature of these scams means that even a momentary lapse in judgment can lead to severe consequences.
One such unfortunate crypto veteran lamented about his experience on X.
A Moment's Folly Caused This Seasoned Crypto Veteran Over 40M MANEKI Tokens
On 9 June, @GraySilvery posted on X a detailed account of the theft of over 40 million $MANEKI, which was valued at 2,902,851.11 RMB (over SGD500K).
He explained that he had been out of town for the past few days and was having breakfast at the hotel when he noticed an update from the #maneki project team on X.
He went on to say that in the comments section of the post, an impersonator of the project team posted a deceptive message, specifically a "2)" message, a common tactic when additional content is required beyond a single tweet.
Recognising this, he accessed his OK wallet, despite rarely claiming airdrops.
Unfortunately, this time, he decided to claim one, leading to a lapse in judgment.
Many friends have commented, calling him greedy or careless, and they are right.
However, as an experienced individual, he wanted to remind everyone that mistakes happen to the best of us.
Having accumulated five million, he expressed that he is not entirely foolish.
The moment he authorised the transaction, he realised his error and attempted to transfer his assets but found out he could not.
Even with the help of a friend who sent him some SOL, the transfer failed.
It was then he realised he had been hacked.
The process was straightforward, lacking any excitement.
The entire ordeal occurred in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, and to say he was not anxious would be untrue.
He promptly contacted OK's Nine Sister, who responded swiftly by adding him to a technical group.
The experts quickly diagnosed the issue: his account permissions had been compromised, and he had lost control of his account.
With the support of friends like the heads of SlowMist and GoPlus who reached out to offer their assistance, they formed a recovery team to see if his losses can be recovered.
Despite not being a social media personality and even harbouring some social anxiety, he explained that he had made many good friends in the crypto community over the years.
They offered genuine assistance, and he was deeply grateful for the support from everyone—Wu, Long Group, Mei, Chan, and many others.
He also added that Wu Blockchain's coverage of the incident left him both nervous and grateful.
Despite being out of town, he chose to report the incident to the police immediately.
With everyone's help, he successfully received a receipt, and the case was filed, thanks to the police's quick action, which opened up possibilities for the next steps.
This receipt is crucial for asset recovery, and while he cannot disclose its significance at the moment, he assures that he will try to explain it in the future.
At the end of his post, he expressed his gratitude to all the bosses, friends, and even strangers who have helped him.
He promised that he will continue to work hard and aim to provide a full account of the incident, hoping it can offer valuable lessons to everyone.
And to end it off, he iterated:
“I wish for smoother paths for all of you, and if there are bumps, let me navigate them alone, as I know the feeling and wouldn't wish it on anyone else." (translated from the Chinese version)
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