The hacker used Buterin’s account to share a malicious link, promising victims a free NFT.
However, once victims connected their wallets, their funds were stolen.
On September 9, Vitalik’s father, Dmitry Buterin, announced the hack on X and stated that Vitalik was working on regaining control of his account.
“Disregard this post, apparently Vitalik has been hacked. He is working on restoring access,” Vitalik’s father said in a tweet.
Users Fell Victim to the Scam
The scam resulted in significant financial losses for victims who clicked on the malicious link.
According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, individuals who clicked on the deceptive link collectively lost over $691,000.
The most valuable NFT stolen was CryptoPunk #3983, valued at approximately $250,543.
Several crypto users also reported losing valuable NFTs to the scam.
One user questioned Buterin’s security measures and suggested he should take responsibility for the incident.
However, ZachXBT countered these claims, stating that Buterin’s high profile makes him a target for hacking attempts.
Hacks and Rug Pulls Responsible for $1.2 Billion Loss in 2023
Web3 platforms have lost over $1.2 billion in hacks and rug pulls this year, according to a report from Immunefi.
The report identified 211 separate incidents contributing to this sum, with $23.4 million in losses in August alone.
The surge in losses during August mainly affected projects on the newly launched Ethereum Layer 2 Base network.
Ethereum faced the most significant number of attacks, with five distinct incidents impacting protocols on the network.
