A governance delegate from MakerDAO has fallen victim to a phishing scam, resulting in the loss of $11 million worth of Aave Ethereum Maker (aEthMKR) and Pendle USDe tokens.
Phishing scams, where attackers pose as reputable entities to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information, have become a prevalent cybercrime.
In this case, discovered by the Web3 anti-scam solution Scam Sniffer on June 23, the delegate's funds were stolen due to his mistake of signing multiple phishing signature approvals that led to the theft of their digital assets.
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The victim, identified by Arkham, is a key player within the MakerDAO ecosystem. As a governance delegate, this individual holds significant responsibility in the decision-making processes of the protocol, influencing votes on governance proposals, polls, and executive decisions.
These votes influence key decisions within the Maker protocol, and if approved, proposals are implemented following a security waiting period known as the Governance Security Module (GSM).
Scam Sniffer's report, published on January 1, revealed that phishing scams drained $300 million from 320,000 users in 2023 alone. One of the most severe cases detailed in the report involved a single victim losing $24.05 million due to signing Increase Allowance.
This incident underscores the persistent threat of phishing scams in crypto. As attackers refine their techniques, the need for improved security measures becomes ever more critical for participants in the crypto ecosystem.
In other news, a Texas police officer has recently stopped a scam involving a fake Chase Bank representative that nearly cost an elderly woman $40,000.
