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Business intelligence firm MicroStrategy’s X account has been hacked, with malicious links posted to a fake airdrop of a so-called “official” Ethereum-based MSTR token. Users who clicked on the links were directed to a copycat MicroStrategy webpage that prompted them to connect their wallets and claim the fake airdrop. Once users granted the necessary permissions, the attackers were able to automatically drain their wallets.
According to blockchain sleuth ZachXBT and anti-scam platform Scam Sniffer, losses from the scam have already exceeded $440,000. One user alone lost over $420,000 worth of altcoins, including wBAI, CHEX, and wPOKT. The MicroStrategy attacker’s wallet currently holds over $329,000 worth of Ethereum-based tokens.
Crypto industry experts have criticized the scam for its obvious nature. MicroStrategy is a firm that is exclusively focused on Bitcoin, and it is highly unlikely that it would launch a token on Ethereum. Founder and Chairman Michael Saylor is a vocal Bitcoin proponent, and has called the ETF approvals a catalyst for a major bull run.
MicroStrategy has not yet publicly commented on the hack. However, the company has a history of being targeted by scammers. In 2022, the company’s CEO, Michael Saylor, was impersonated on social media in an attempt to promote a fake cryptocurrency giveaway. MicroStrategy recently announced a purchase of $37 million worth of BTC in its earnings call, bringing their total holdings to over $8.1 billion.