Key Takeaways
- To make the scam seem legitimate, the scammers disabled comments on the post, claiming it was to prevent “malicious links.”
- The hackers posted a phishing link, encouraging users to claim a fake MANA token airdrop by connecting their crypto wallets.
Decentraland’s official X(formerly Twitter) account was hacked on September 19, with attackers promoting a fraudulent MANA token airdrop. Blockchain security firm PeckShield quickly raised the alarm on X, warning users not to engage with the account or click on any links.
The hackers posted a phishing link, encouraging users to claim a fake MANA token airdrop by connecting their crypto wallets. Once connected, the victims’ funds were stolen, leaving them exposed to financial loss.
The scam kicked off at 01:50 a.m. UTC on September 19, with the post pinned to Decentraland’s X profile for maximum visibility. To make the scam seem legitimate, the attackers disabled comments on the post, falsely claiming it was to prevent “malicious links.”
PeckShield advised users to avoid the account until further updates from Decentraland confirm the issue has been resolved. They also warned the public to refrain from engaging with any content until it’s safe to do so.
This hack is part of a larger wave of social media breaches. On September 18, multiple high-profile X accounts were compromised, including those of Lenovo India, filmmaker Oliver Stone, Brazil football star Neymar Jr, among other prominent names. Hackers used these accounts to promote a Solana meme coin scam called HACKED. Despite the scale of the breach, the attackers reportedly made only around $8,000 in profits.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT criticized the operation, calling it one of the most “incompetent” hacks of the year. He also urged X users to regularly review their account settings and revoke permissions for any unused apps, as these could provide entry points for cybercriminals.
The platform’s last legitimate post was made at 10:00 p.m. UTC on September 18, featuring community fashion picks. Hours after the hack, Decentraland has put out a tweet saying that they have regained their account.
Fake airdrop scams are becoming common in the crypto space. In these scams, users or participants are often asked to send a small amount of crypto to verify their wallet address or pay transaction fees to a malicious smart contract that could drain their funds. Once the payment is made, the scammers disappear with the funds, and the promised tokens are never delivered to the users
