The rise of crypto scams on X has reached alarming levels, with impersonation accounts surging to over 300 daily, marking an 87% increase from the November average of 160, according to blockchain analysts.
On December 10, Scam Sniffer, a blockchain analytics firm, issued a warning about the growing trend. The platform highlighted that scammers are increasingly exploiting high-profile accounts to promote fraudulent tokens and phishing schemes, putting users at significant risk. It reported that two victims lost over $3 million in cryptocurrency in a high-profile incident after interacting with malicious links and approving transactions tied to fake accounts.
🚨 SCAM ALERT: Surge in X Impersonations 📈
Our monitoring system detected a significant increase in crypto fake accounts this week, with daily numbers reaching 300+ (vs. Nov avg. 160) 📊
⚠️ Two victims lost over $3M recently from clicking malicious links/signing transactions… pic.twitter.com/eGhG1GPX0r
— Scam Sniffer | Web3 Anti-Scam (@realScamSniffer) December 10, 2024
Scam Sniffer advised users to “never click links in comments, verify official accounts” to avoid falling victim.
This rise of fake accounts has drawn widespread criticism from the crypto community. One X user commented,
“There are so many fake accounts, it’s crazy lol,”
while another urged the social media platform to take swift action to address the issue.
In September, blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported several high-profile accounts—including those of Yahoo News UK, Lenovo India, and Money Control—that were compromised to promote a scam meme coin called “HACKED.” According to the pseudonymous sleuth, these fraudulent acts have seen modest earnings of approximately $67,000 in market cap from the HACKED token.
ZachXBT urged the crypto community to remain vigilant and revoke permissions granted to suspicious sites and apps to protect their assets.
Meanwhile, executives in the cryptocurrency industry are the subject of a new phishing scam. According to Nick Neuman, CEO of Bitcoin self-custody provider Casa, the fraudsters impersonate Coinbase support staff and use leaked data to target high-ranking individuals. Neuman, who had an encounter with these malicious agents, noted that scammers deliberately target high-value individuals, such as CEOs, CFOs, and software engineers. He noted these scammers claim to generate five-figure weekly incomes from these schemes.
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