MetaMask Alerts Users Of New Phishing Scam That Steals Seed Phrases

Metamask alerts users of a new phishing bot scam that steals users’ seed phrases in Google Docs from posing as the official support portal as we can see more in our latest crypto news.

The crypto wallet provider Metamask alerts users of the new phishing scam that tries to steal seed phrases. In a tweet published recently, Metamask warned the users that the bot tries to direct users to a purported instant support portal where they will be prompted to enter information into a Google Docs form. The form asks for the secret recovery phase which can be used to respawn the users’ crypto wallets. The wallet stated that it doesn’t have a Google Docs-based support system and urged the users to seek support from the Get Help option on the wallet app itself and avoid being scammed.

🚨PHISHING ALERT!: a new type of phishing bot is becoming active. 🎣
👨🏻Comes from an account that looks “normal” (but few followers)
📑Helpfully suggests filling out a support form on a major site like Google sheets (hard to block).
🪝Asks for your secret recovery phrase. pic.twitter.com/EeHumnmzbE

— MetaMask (@MetaMask) May 3, 2021

MetaMask encouraged the users to report scams that impersonate the wallet and its services noting that the customs can do so in the app. Despite MetaMask warning its users of the bot, some of the users appear to have already been scammed with one saying:  “so there is no way to get back our token right ?”

Due to its popularity, Metamask is one of the top targets for hackers and scammers as the developer behind the wallet Consensys reported that it had hit a record of five million active monthly users. Phishing attacks are a social engineering technique that scammers use to lure users into completing an action that shows personal information or account details. The wallet also detailed a rotten seed phrase attack where a malicious website mimics the website of the wallet that the user is trying to install. The fake website shows a seed phrase that enables the scammers to control the wallet once it was installed.

It is not just beginner users who may fall victim to phishing scams with a hacker fooling Nexus Mutual founder High Karp after they transferred about 370,000 Nexus Mutual tokens that were worth $8 million to the wallet under their control. Ledger users also were inundated with phishing attempts and saw two major breaches of their company’s servers in leaking personal information like email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses.