Hacker Steals $5.4M from zkLend—Then Gets Scammed

But in a twist straight out of a Hollywood heist movie, they lost everything to another scammer just moments later.

zkLend, a lending protocol on Ethereum’s Layer 2 network, recently fell victim to an exploit.

Hacker Falls for a Scam, Loses Stolen $5.4M

A hacker managed to drain 2,930 ETH from the platform, sending shockwaves through the crypto community. The attacker, likely expecting to launder their loot through Tornado Cash, an infamous crypto mixer, was about to learn a hard lesson.

While trying to wash their stolen funds through Tornado Cash, the hacker made a rookie mistake. Instead of visiting the real Tornado Cash site, they landed on a phishing site cleverly disguised as the real deal. Before they could blink, the entire $5.4 million vanished—snatched up by another thief lying in wait. In short, the hunter became the hunted.

Phishing scams are nothing new in crypto. Fraudsters set up fake websites that look identical to real platforms, tricking users into revealing private keys or approving malicious transactions. Once the hacker connected their wallet to the fake Tornado Cash, the phishing site’s operator drained every last ETH. This blunder highlights a bitter reality: Even criminals aren’t safe from cybercrime.

A Heist, a Scam, and a Harsh Lesson in DeFi Security

The original zkLend hackers probably thought they had hit the jackpot, only to get outplayed by someone even more cunning. As the saying goes, “You live by the sword, you die by the sword.”

While most people aren’t out there stealing crypto, there’s a lesson here for everyone: Always double-check URLs, use security tools, and avoid connecting wallets to unknown sites. Scammers don’t discriminate—they’ll take anyone’s money, even from other crooks.

Disclaimer

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