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- Gabriel Leydon’s Twitter account was hacked recently.
- Attackers used the account to steal crypto assets.
- The hacker stole MAYC NFT among other digital assets.
MAYC NFT Stolen During Crypto Hack
Cyber criminals are taking the crypto sector by storm. As the digital asset market is gaining popularity, these malicious actors are frequently trying to exploit the investors through their illicit games. In a recent crypto hack, the attackers targeted Gabriel Leydon, CEO of anime-based NFT collection. The hackers got access to his Twitter account and stole virtual assets worth over $30,000.
The hacker posted malicious Tweets containing phishing links that redirected user access of the accounts to the attacker. Among the stolen digital assets, Mutant Apes Yacht Club (MAYC) NFT remains the most valuable asset in the hack. He sold the token for around 12 Ethereum (about $19,000) at that time.
Twitter remains one of the most influential social media platforms for the users globally. Followers of famous personalities gain insights through their Tweets. This renders the platform as the favorite network for hackers to lure people into the traps. Majority of people will follow the instructions posted by a verified or highly followed account, making it easier for the malicious actors to choose targets.
Most remarkable crypto hack on Twitter was identified on July 15, 2020. The event was labeled The Bitcoin Promotion Scam. Attackers used social engineering to gain access to the Twitter tools which eventually were used to hack VIP accounts on the network. Authorities arrested three individuals and charged them on the counts of identity thefts, money laundering, and more.
Since the rise of non-fungible tokens in 2021, fraudsters posing as NFT artists are rising. Most of them approach the users via DMs and a majority of them are fake. People need to avoid clicking every link they receive through an unknown account, no matter how financially attractive it appears.
Users need to take utter precautions to avoid these hackers. To do so, they can take certain points into consideration like digital collections offering high compensations, containing a link (it can be a malware), projects claiming to giveaway free tokens or coins and more. They should avoid connecting their digital wallets to an unknown website as it can give attackers access to the wallet funds.
Crypto sector has witnessed several attacks in the past, including the Ronin Bridge collapse, Beanstalk hack, and more. The Wintermute crypto hack remains one of the most interesting attacks in the DeFi sector. The hacker simply used flash loans to borrow funds, took over 67% of the controlling stake and approved the transfers, and bam! the man vanished like a breeze.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.
