Crypto scams targeting MetaMask users are using government-owned website URLs to con victims and access their crypto wallet holdings.
Ethereum-based crypto wallet MetaMask has been a long-standing target for scammers — which involves redirecting unwary users to fabricated websites that request access to the MetaMask wallets. Cointelegraph’s investigation on the matter found numerous government-owned websites being used to perpetrate this exact scam.
Official government websites from India, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, Brazil, Vietnam and other jurisdictions have been found redirecting to fake MetaMask websites, as shown below.
Cointelegraph alerted MetaMask about the ongoing scams and received an immediate acknowledgment. According to the MetaMask security team, Web3’s incredible growth potential makes the ecosystem attractive for scammers and thieves.
Once a user clicks on any of the rogue links placed within the government website URLs, they are redirected to a fake URL instead of the original URL “MetaMask.io.” Once accessed, Microsoft’s built-in security — Microsoft Defender — warns users about a possible phishing attempt.
If users ignore the warning, they are greeted by a website resembling the official MetaMask website. The fake websites will eventually ask the users to link their MetaMask wallets to access various services on the platform.
The above screenshot shows the similarity between the real and fake MetaMask websites, which is one of the main reasons investors fall for the scam. Linking MetaMask wallets on such websites gives scammers complete control over the assets held on those particular MetaMask wallets.
With regards to the phishing websites uncovered by Cointelegraph, MetaMask security team stated:
“We are building in some heuristics (metadata, indicators, TTPs, etc) from this current campaign into our detection engines to hopefully detect any more of these attacks as soon as they launch and take steps to taking them down before they reach users – or at the very least minimize the exposure.”
In lieu of growing attacks on crypto investors, MetaMask also encourages potential victims to report on possible scams.
In case of a seed phrase compromise, MetaMask advises users to stop using the seed recovery phrase and create a new one from a device that has not been compromised. Readers are also advised to note that MetaMask does not collect KYC information from its users.
The wallet provider said the 5,000 ETH was stolen “from various addresses across 11 blockchains,” reaffirming the claim that funds were hacked from MetaMask “is incorrect.”
Speaking to Cointelegraph, Wallet Guard co-founder Ohm Shah said the MetaMask team has been “researching tirelessly,” and there is “no solid answer to how this has happened.”
Collect this article as an NFT to preserve this moment in history and show your support for independent journalism in the crypto space.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has resigned from the Labour Party.
The 53-year-old MP is the first to jump ship since the general election and in her resignation letter criticised the prime minister for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts.
She told Sir Keir Starmer the reason for leaving now is “the programme of policies you seem determined to stick to”, despite their unpopularity with the electorate and MPs.
In her letter she accused the prime minister and his top team of “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice” which are “off the scale”.
“I’m so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party,” she said.
Since December 2019, the prime minister received £107,145 in gifts, benefits, and hospitality – a specific category in parliament’s register of MPs’ interests.
More from Politics
Ms Duffield, who has previously clashed with the prime minister on gender issues, attacked the government for pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies as she resigned the Labour whip.
She criticised the decision to keep the two-child benefit cap and means-test the winter fuel payment, and accused the prime minister of “hypocrisy” over his acceptance of free gifts from donors.
“Since the change of government in July, the revelations of hypocrisy have been staggering and increasingly outrageous,” she said.
“I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear.”
Ms Duffield also mentioned the recent “treatment of Diane Abbott”, who said she thought she had been barred from standing by Labour ahead of the general election, before Sir Keir said she would be allowed to defend her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat for the party.
Her relationship with the Labour leadership has long been strained and her decision to quit the party comes after seven other Labour MPs were suspended for rebelling by voting for a motion calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished.
“Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp – this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister,” she said.
Ms Duffield said she will continue to represent her constituents as an independent MP, “guided by my core Labour values”.