$2.5M Vanishes in Double Crypto Phishing Scam

The scam exploited a tactic known as the “zero-value transfer.” This subtle onchain deception is growing in both frequency and sophistication.

According to blockchain security firm Cyvers, the attacker first lured the victim into sending $843,000 worth of Tether (USDT). Just hours later, the same victim unknowingly sent an additional $2.6 million USDT—this time to the same spoofed wallet address used in the earlier attack. This one-two punch is a textbook case of “address poisoning,” a deceptive trick that manipulates transaction histories to earn misplaced trust.

How Zero-Value Phishing Works

At the heart of this scam is a clever abuse of how crypto wallets display transaction history. Attackers initiate a transaction using the transferFrom function of a token contract, sending zero tokens to the victim’s wallet from a lookalike or spoofed address. Since no funds move, the blockchain doesn’t require the victim’s signature, but the transaction still appears in their history.

Later, when the victim wants to move real funds—say to a trusted address—they may mistakenly select the spoofed address from their past transactions. That’s where the trap is sprung: the attacker receives real funds, and the victim is left with a devastating loss. This tactic is gaining traction.

More About Crypto Hacks

In 2021, a crypto investor named Brian lost $78,000. It was after falling for a sophisticated crypto phishing scam involving a fake Ledger device. Despite following all security best practices, he received a counterfeit “replacement” Ledger in the mail, supposedly due to a past data breach.

The device was pre-loaded with malware and tricked him into entering his recovery phrase. This scam, rooted in social engineering and stolen customer data. It shows that even cold wallets aren’t foolproof without proper verification steps.

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