Hackers Hijack EigenLayer’s Twitter to Promote Phishing Scam

The Ethereum restaking protocol EigenLayer became the latest target of a Twitter (now X) hack, with its account compromised on Friday morning. Hackers took control of EigenLayer’s official handle and used it to promote a fake airdrop scam. Tricking at least one victim out of nearly $800,000 in cryptocurrency, according to blockchain security firm Scam Sniffer.

A series of suspicious posts appeared on EigenLayer’s feed. Advertising a fraudulent reallocation of EIGEN tokens from the protocol’s Season 2 airdrop. The posts included links that redirected users to a phishing website masquerading as the Eigen Foundation’s official site, with the intent of draining users’ crypto wallets.

EigenLayer Confirms the Hack

Shortly after the posts appeared, Eigen Labs, the developer of EigenLayer, confirmed the account takeover on its Twitter feed. “The @EigenLayer handle has been compromised,” the statement read. The team warned users not to interact with any suspicious links and urged them to only engage with the official website, ‘eigenlayer.xyz’.

“We are working to secure the account and will provide updates soon,” Eigen Labs reassured its followers.

Phishing Links and the Damage Done

The phishing links posted by the hackers appeared to be wallet drainer scams. Designed to steal funds from any crypto wallet that clicked on and authorized access via the malicious site. At least one victim lost $800,000 in digital assets as a result of the scam, as reported by Scam Sniffer, a security firm that monitors blockchain activity for scams.

The first fraudulent post was made around 7 am ET, advertising what the hackers claimed was a reallocation of EIGEN tokens. Although the claim period for EigenLayer’s Season 2 airdrop had already ended. The post attempted to lure users into believing that additional tokens were available.

As more scam posts followed, the hackers employed a variety of tactics to entice victims. In one particularly bizarre post, a photo of a dog wearing a flower crown was shared along with the phishing link. Adding an unusual but eye-catching twist to the scam.

Phishing Scams and the Crypto Space

Phishing scams are a persistent issue in the cryptocurrency space. Where attackers often target users via social media platforms. By hijacking official accounts, such as EigenLayer’s, scammers can convince unsuspecting users to click on links that compromise their wallets.

In this case, the scammers used the popularity of airdrop campaigns—where crypto projects distribute tokens to users as a reward or promotional tool—as bait. These events often generate a great deal of excitement. Making them a prime opportunity for bad actors to capitalize on user interest.

No Official Comment Yet

As of now, it remains unclear if EigenLayer has regained full control of its Twitter account. The protocol’s developer, Eigen Labs, has yet to release an update beyond its initial confirmation of the hack.

The incident serves as a reminder for users to always verify the authenticity of posts from official accounts and avoid engaging with any suspicious links. While the lure of free tokens can be tempting, scams like these highlight the importance of vigilance and security in the cryptocurrency world.

The hacking of EigenLayer’s Twitter account is another example of how phishing scams are targeting crypto users by exploiting the trust placed in official project channels. With one victim already losing $800,000, the incident highlights the devastating consequences of such attacks. As EigenLayer works to regain control of its account, users are urged to remain cautious and verify all interactions on social media platforms.