Last year, a crypto whale fell victim to a phishing scam, losing approximately $24 million worth of liquid staked Ethereum. Fortunately, recent developments indicate a significant recovery of the stolen funds.
Refund Process Initiated
According to Scam Sniffer, a blockchain security firm, the attacker has begun returning the stolen funds. As of July 15, more than $10 million has been refunded to the victim.
On-Chain Transactions
Data from blockchain analytics firm Etherscan reveals that the attacker started the refund process on July 6 with a message admitting to the theft and expressing intent to return the money. Subsequently, around $9.3 million worth of DAI stablecoins was transferred to the victim in two transactions. Additional refunds totaling $1 million were made by July 15, bringing the total refund to $10.3 million.
Acknowledgment and Further Negotiations
The victim confirmed receipt of the transferred funds and expressed gratitude for the partial refund. They requested the remaining balance to be returned to a specified address. Subsequently, the attacker indicated willingness to refund the remaining balance but sought private discussions with the victim. A Telegram Group was established for this purpose, although the resolution status remains unclear as of now.
Trends in Crypto Scams
Notably, such instances of hackers returning stolen funds after negotiation via blockchain messages have been observed before. However, the specific motivations behind this refund remain unclear, considering the significant time lapse since the initial attack, which occurred approximately ten months ago.
Persistent Threat of Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks continue to pose a significant threat to crypto users, with malicious actors often impersonating legitimate accounts on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Scam Sniffer’s recent report highlights a growing trend, with losses due to these attacks surpassing $341 million in the first half of this year, exceeding the total losses of $295 million recorded in the entire year of 2023.
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