PLEASE READ! 🛑
Phishing scam alert. They got me!
Wednesday during the highest of the hi, after my project OBSOLETE ARCHIVE dropped I was the victim of a crypto scam and lost everything I made that day. I want to make it very clear your NFTs are not in any danger from this scam. They’re on a separate contract and have nothing to do with this situation.
I’m sharing what happened because if it can happen to someone like me who is extremely careful who has been in this space for close to 6 years, and only had a small scam once before it can happen to anyone.
Right after the quick sell out of OA I wanted to make a telegram group for collectors of the project and set up a verification bot to keep the channel secure within the collectors joining. I was trying to access what I believed was a legitimate CollabLand verification process through Telegram. The bot looked real. The steps felt familiar. I connected my wallet and approved a transaction believing I was simply verifying ownership.
I never shared my seed phrase.
But the transaction I approved was malicious, and the funds were removed from my wallet. 6.42 ETH to be exact.
The scammers group name is Angel Ferno.
The hardest part is knowing that I paused, questioned it and still believed what I was seeing was legitimate. These scams are designed to create familiarity and make experienced users lower their guard for one moment. Trust me I never let my guard down when it comes to these things but I was high on life at that specific moment, happy with the results, The project I poured my heart out and worked for months was received beyond my expectations. Thank you!
A few things I hope others take from this:
•When you set up a wallet to get paid do it towards a hard wallet.
• Never trust a bot or link simply because the branding looks legitimate. Obviously! 🙄
• Only access verification tools through links posted on an official website or confirmed public account.
• Read every wallet request as if it could empty the wallet because sometimes it will.
• Use a separate wallet with minimal funds for verification and unfamiliar connections.
• Disconnecting a wallet does not necessarily revoke permissions already granted.
• If anything feels even slightly wrong, stop. Urgency is part of the trap.
I’ve reported the wallet addresses and transactions to the appropriate platforms and authorities. The chances the funds will ever be recovered are 0 to none, but I refuse to let the experience disappear without helping someone else avoid it. If you come to me saying you can help me get my funds chances are I will block you.
There is no shame in admitting that you were deceived. The shame belongs entirely to the people who build these systems to steal from others. I just needed some time to reflect on what happened to me. I’m devastated but I’m here because I love this space and the years I’ve worked to help build it. It hurts like a motherfucker bc I’m just an artist trying to make a living doing what I love.
Please stay careful. One approval can change everything.
Below is a screenshot of the fake telegram account and the etherscan contract where my funds went to. Since I reported them now they’re classified as malicious but they haven’t move my funds.
Hey guys! If you want an invite for #Deadlock I am happy to help! DM me your friend code or steam profile and I will add you as a friend and send you an invite. That's the least I could do to help those who want to play the game badly.