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Milana Korofetova
Milana Korofetova

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DeFi Sector Vulnerability: Addressing Fraud Risks for Investors

As technology advances rapidly, so do the tactics of fraudsters. Blockchain researcher ZachXBT remains vigilant, warning of new scams on his platform. Recently, he uncovered a group of fraudsters attempting to lure victims into a new scam using millions in stolen funds.
Key Points of the Investigation:

  • ZachXBT's investigation into Leaper Finance, a lending protocol based on Blast, revealed connections to several scams affecting various projects, resulting in losses exceeding $20 million.
  • The fraudsters behind these scams are responsible for multiple fraudulent projects, including Hash DAO, Glori Finance, and ZebraDAO.
  • Following exposure by ZachXBT, the fraudsters harassed him and announced a token launch before disappearing from the internet along with their projects. Disappearance of Fraudulent Projects:
  • Within hours of the investigation, the fraudulent projects vanished from the internet. ZachXBT traced stolen funds to a wallet that provided liquidity to these projects.
  • The wallet, previously associated with carpetbagging projects, now supports various fraudulent projects across different blockchains. Increased Phishing Scams:
  • Phishing scams targeting Base saw an 18-fold increase in March, stealing approximately $3.35 million.
  • Ethereum remains the most susceptible blockchain to fraud, followed by BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Solana, and Bitcoin. Solana's Network Congestion:
  • Despite fewer hacking incidents, Solana faces network congestion issues due to high demand. Efforts are underway to address these issues and improve user experience. Second Security Layer:
  • Cryptocurrency exchanges recommend using YubiKey devices and hardware wallets to enhance security in response to rising phishing scams.
  • However, not all exchanges prioritize security, with incidents of data leaks and illegal activities tarnishing some platforms' reputations.

Summary:
The crypto industry continues to grapple with security challenges, as evidenced by ZachXBT's investigation and the prevalence of phishing scams. While developers work to enhance network security, user vigilance and adoption of security measures remain crucial. Investing in reputable exchanges with strong security measures is essential in safeguarding funds in an increasingly complex ecosystem.

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