Over 65,000 subscribers of a Telegram channel, specifically created to perpetrate a fraudulent scheme involving counterfeit Wrapped Ethereum (WETH) airdrops, find themselves in jeopardy of financial loss.
A highly adept group of swindlers orchestrated a sham airdrop of 0.5 WETH, equivalent to approximately $900 at the present exchange rate. The allure of rapid financial gain through airdrops enticed numerous cryptocurrency enthusiasts, particularly novices, into falling prey to this ruse.
The perpetrators devised a Telegram BOT to provide instructions to applicants, establishing a counterfeit WETH community channel on Telegram, which amassed over 65,000 subscribers in less than a month. Additionally, they established a group to persuade victims of the airdrop’s authenticity, presenting them with tasks such as following their deceitful Twitter page created April 2023 , joining the spurious Telegram WETH community channel, and participating in the Telegram group. The BOT requested participants to furnish their wrapped Ethereum (WETH) address from platforms such as Binance, metamask, trust wallet, or other exchanges, along with their email and Twitter handle, purportedly for task verification purposes.
Maintaining a vigilant watch, the CryptoAfricaNow team has diligently monitored and investigated the entirety of this fraudulent endeavor, as the designated withdrawal date was scheduled for May 15, 2023. Participants were compelled to refer a minimum of ten individuals to the airdrop scam before being eligible to withdraw their airdrops.
On May 14, 2023, one day prior to the anticipated withdrawal deadline, the scam artists inaugurated a fresh YouTube channel, featuring a video outlining the procedure for acquiring an airdrop that would ultimately never find its way into the victims’ wallets.
Disabled comments on the YouTube channel,
The execution of their fraudulent activities unfolded as follows: firstly, they limited communication on the spurious Telegram channel, disabled comments on the YouTube channel, and revised the regulations within their counterfeit video. Consequently, airdrop participants can now withdraw without the prerequisite of referrals, but are instead instructed by the Telegram bot to remit funds to specified cryptocurrency wallets (Ethernet 0.002, TRX 300, BNB 0.063, LTC 0.3).
Phishing cryptocurrency addresses.
This particular scam stands out as one of the most astute in the realm of airdrops. At present, a growing number of victims, predominantly hailing from African and Asian regions, continue to be ensnared, naively hoping to acquire WETH worth $900.
As prudent cryptocurrency investors, we strongly urge individuals to exercise caution when considering participation in airdrops. Any airdrop that necessitates the transmission of funds prior to crediting should be regarded as a flagrant scam.
Please provide your thoughts on the recent suspicious WETH Telegram airdrop scam. If you have any web3, cryptocurrency, or blockchain projects in Africa, we would appreciate it if you could share them with us at sales@cryptoafricanow.com.
Ndasi Tata is a Bitcoin entrepreneur from Cameroon, who holds an M.Sc in Blockchain and Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia. He is an advocate of Bitcoin in Africa and uses various social media platforms to promote his ideas and ventures. Tata has a background in state journalism and has established himself as a significant figure in the Bitcoin community.
