EigenLayer X Account Hacked to Promote Fake Airdrop: Here’s What We Know

• Several on-chain sleuths have reported that EigenLayer’s X account has been compromised.
• The reports follow several airdrop-related posts from the account.
• Social media compromises have become a recurring theme in crypto scams.

As crypto airdrops come back in style, scammers are looking to take advantage. In the latest instance, these bad actors appear to be targeting users of the popular Ethereum restaking protocol EigenLayer .

Here’s what we know.

EigenLayer X Account Compromised

Over the past few hours, several security analysts have warned that EigenLayer’s official X account has been compromised.

"Eigenlayer X/Twitter account is currently compromised do not click any links," prominent on-chain sleuth ZachXBT posted on their Telegram channel .

At the same time, Polygon Labs CISO Mudit Gupta warned :

"Eigenlayer Twitter has been compromised. Do not click any links. There's no new airdrop ." 

The warnings come as the project’s X account has been used to post a “Season 2” airdrop over the past few hours, urging users to claim their allocation before October 19.

Screenshot of one of the posts promoting the fake EigenLayer airdrop

For context, EigenLayer’s official Season 2 airdrop to community members concluded in September 2024. 

Crypto-focused security outfit Scam Sniffer shared an analysis of the link attached to the recent scam posts, noting that it contains a fake version of MetaMask, a tool to steal users’ seed phrases, and a wallet drainer.

At the moment, it is unclear if there have been any losses due to the exploit. However, it is the latest in a growing trend of scammers compromising popular X accounts to promote scams. In recent months, the X accounts of celebrities like Kylian Mbappe and Usher have been compromised to promote scam tokens.

How to Stay Safe 

The growing trend of crypto scams tied to X account hacks makes users need to be on guard and take steps to remain safe. Like most scams, these exploits use urgency and greed to play on human emotions. Below are some tips to help you stay safe:

• Always double-check the X handles from which a post originates.
• Try to confirm announcements from other official channels.
• Use tools like Scam Sniffers’ browser extension to confirm the safety of websites before connecting your wallet.
• If you notice anything suspicious, report it to the relevant authorities to help keep others safe.

On the Flipside

• It is currently unclear if any user has lost assets to the EigenLayer X account hack.
• EigenLayer recently suffered a hack that caused the loss of over 1.6 million tokens worth nearly $6 million.

Why This Matters

EigenLayer is the largest Ethereum restaking protocol, with a TVL of over $11 billion, according to Defi Llama data at the time of writing. The project boasts over 310,000 followers on X.

Read this for more on EigenLayer:
EigenLayer Engages Law Enforcement to Recover Millions in Stolen Tokens

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