PeckShield, a blockchain security firm, warned in an X post on Sept. 19 that the official Decentraland X account had been compromised.
The attackers are reportedly circulating a phishing link posing as a MANA token airdrop to deceive the virtual reality (VR) platform’s social media followers.
The link redirects users to a website that prompts users to claim the token airdrop by connecting their wallets, only to have their funds compromised shortly after.
Source: PeckShieldAlert
Related: Crypto scammers orchestrate massive hack on X but barely made $8K
PeckShield warning
The blockchain security firm has advised users to refrain from interacting with the official Decentraland account by not clicking the link or engaging with related content.
PeckShield informs users that they should await further announcements from the VR platform’s social media account to confirm account security has been restored.
This method of social media breach is becoming an ongoing trend, as seen on Sept. 18 when crypto scammers hacked into several high-profile social media accounts.
Related: DuckDuckGo ranks Etherscan phishing websites in top results
Decentraland account takeover
The scam announcements began at 01:50 am UTC on Sept. 19, announcing the MANA airdrop allocation for Decentraland’s community on X and pinning the post.
To reinforce the disguised scam, the bad actor commented on the scam announcement (and following announcements) that comments were turned off “due to malicious links.”
The last post to appear on the VR platform’s social media page not related to the scam airdrop was around 10:00 pm UTC on Sept. 18, showcasing the platform’s community fashion choices.
Source: Decentraland
Related: CFTC partners up to warn on crypto pig butchering scams
Scambaiter tips for avoiding scams
On Sept. 12, in an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Kitboga, known for his antics of wasting scammers’ time, shared tips to avoid scammer tactics.
He explained that the one common thing every scammer does is “give you a sense of urgency,” which should be responded to with calm consideration to avoid becoming a victim.
Following Kitboga’s advice, Decentraland followers should remain calm and consider their actions carefully in the case of the reported highjacking of the VR platform’s X account.
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