Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin's account was hacked, leading to massive losses from fraudulent links.
The incident sheds light on the escalating security risks in the crypto industry.
Learn how even high-profile figures are not immune and what you can do to protect yourself.
Vitalik Buterin's X account hacked
Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin's X account has been hacked, resulting in losses exceeding $691,000 due to fraudulent links posted by the imposter.
The hacking incident was reported by Vitalik's father, Dmitry Buterin.
The scammer who took over Vitalik Buterin's account posted links to a fraudulent site celebrating Ethereum's upcoming update, "Proto-Danksharding."
The scammer deceived multiple followers into parting with their cryptocurrency assets.
Although the post has been deleted, it contained a fraudulent link promising "free commemorative NFTs within 24 hours," resulting in a total theft of over $691,000 from victims who connected their wallets.
According to reports, the most valuable asset stolen was an NFT named "CryptoPunk #3983," valued at 153.62 ETH as of September 11, 2023.
Public Opinion Divided on Responsibility for the Hack
While some argue that Vitalik Buterin should take responsibility for not implementing adequate security measures, others oppose this view, citing his high profile as a reason for being a frequent target of hacking attempts.
In the cryptocurrency industry, there has been a surge in cases where official social media accounts of well-known crypto projects and celebrities are being hacked.
Scammers post fraudulent links from these accounts to deceive people into parting with their crypto assets.
Additionally, it has been reported that the Telegram account of the meme coin "PEPE," which gained attention due to its price surge in April this year, was also hacked on September 9th.