Poisoning attack scammer who stole $71 million asks victim for Telegram, sends 51 ETH
Quick Take
- The poisoning attack scammer who stole $71 million worth of WBTC on May 3 contacted the victim.
- The scammer asked for the victim’s telegram and sent them 51 ETH, worth around $151,600.
- The interaction comes after the victim requested 90% of the funds back.
The poisoning attack scammer who stole $71 million worth of wrapped bitcoin contacted their victim, asking for their Telegram and sending over 51 ETH ($151,600).
"Please leave your telegram and I will contact you," wrote the poisoning attack scammer to the victim twice, according to on-chain data from the blockchain tracking platform Etherscan. The crypto investigator ZachXBT first publicized the interaction.
The communication occurred through an input data message (IDM), a form of decentralized communication on the Ethereum blockchain.
The message from the scammer comes after the victim requested a majority of funds back on May 5. The 51 ETH represents 4.2% of the requested funds.
"There's no turning back after this," the victim wrote in an IDM, adding, "we both know there's no way to clean this (sic) funds. You will be traced."
"Nevertheless, we officially admin your right to the 10%. Send 90% back. There are 24 hours for you before 10 a.m. UTC, 6th May 2024 to make a decision that will change your life, in any case," the victim continued.
The poisoning attack
On May 3, someone transferred 1,155 WBTC, valued at $71 million at the time, to someone who appeared to be a poisoning attack scammer. A poisoning attack occurs when the malicious actor spams the victim with numerous blockchain-based transactions, hoping that the victim will copy the scammer's address instead of their own amidst the flurry. The attacker may use vanity services or create numerous digital wallets so that the fake address appears very similar to the victim's wallet, increasing the likelihood of a slip-up.
Wrapped bitcoin is an ERC-20 token tied to the price of bitcoin. WBTC was worth $61,442.96 at 10:40 a.m. ET on May 9, after experiencing a 1.79% decrease of $1,122.68 in the past 24 hours, according to The Block Prices.
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