A scammer using a Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT as a pfp is attempting to steal from members of the NFT community. Over the weekend, several members of the NFT Twitter community have come forward, saying the scammer has approached them via DM. The Twitter profile belonging to the scammer has a Twitter hexagon pfp of a Mutant Ape, attempting to add legitimacy to their NFT scam.
What’s more, the account is also being followed by some high-profile BAYC holders, which could suggest to others in the NFT space that it is a genuine person.
Mutant Ape Scammer using ‘fake link’ trick
In a tweet this morning, @mazen2k brought the suspicious account into focus. They tweeted, “Scammer alert. Scammer @cIaritaaa27 has a verified Twitter hexagon and is followed by [email protected] Retweet to spread the warning.”
Judging by the comments in response to the thread, this has been going on for some while. The Mutant Ape scammer has spent the last week messaging people offering to sell their Mutant Ape NFT, among other NFTs. The link they provide is a fake one. The scam relies on offering a deal too good to be true and entices people to put their guard down.
Another user, called @RroottHK_nft, has also created a thread today about the Mutant Ape NFT scammer. It is great to see members of the Twitter NFT community raising awareness about scammers.
Why is the Twitter hexagon profile important?
To gain a Twitter hexagon NFT pfp, you must own the NFT in question. The Mutant Ape scammer, @cIaritaaa27, uses this hexagon profile pic to legitimize their NFT sale. People will see the hexagon pfp and automatically be more trusting.
This is a significant issue, and people should remember that many NFT scams rely on social engineering. Furthermore, scammers have numerous ways to try and get information from you without realizing it.
Over the last year, we have seen countless NFT scams where people have given away their details in one way or another because of social engineering. Even the British Army Twitter page was taken over by NFT scammers earlier this year. Remember to keep your details safe and follow the most current NFT security protocols.
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This article is educational material.
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