FTX, a renowned cryptocurrency exchange, has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately. Remember when they had to shut down, leaving millions of users in a lurch, unable to access their hard-earned capital? Well, the plot has thickened.
When we thought things couldn’t get any worse for FTX users, they’re now targeted by a new wave of phishing attacks. These attacks come hot on the heels of a SIM-swapping attack on Kroll, the claims agent overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings for FTX. And guess what? This attack didn’t just expose FTX users’ data. Personal details from other bankrupt crypto firms, Genesis and BlockFi, were also bare. We’re talking about account balances, phone numbers, and home addresses. Yikes!
Now, while the attackers didn’t get their hands on crypto account passwords or other super-sensitive data (phew!), they’ve been crafty. They’ve been sending out emails to FTX users, promising to return their lost capital. But here’s the catch: users are asked to link a crypto wallet to their account to get their money back. Sounds fishy. That’s because it is!
One such email read, “You have been identified as an eligible client to begin withdrawing digital assets from your FTX account. Withdrawals will be dispatched in USDC matched to the balance of digital assets held in your wallet at the time of platform pause. You can now withdraw to an external ERC20 wallet by clicking the withdraw now button.” If you’re thinking of connecting your wallet to such an email, think again! Doing so could drain your token holdings, especially if they ask for private vital data.
For those scratching their heads about SIM swapping, here’s a quick rundown: It’s when scammers trick mobile carriers into activating a SIM card they have. Once they do that, they can target phone numbers and swipe passwords, financial data, and even cryptocurrencies. It’s sneaky, it’s nasty, and it’s causing a lot of headaches.
In the wake of this chaos, FTX has taken some action. They’ve frozen affected user accounts within their customer claims portal. This portal is where creditors can provide details about their charges. But is it too little too late?
