In it non-fungible tokens (nft), scammers are constantly devising new methods to exploit unsuspecting collectors. The latest incident involves scammers posing as journalists from Forbes magazine, specifically targeting Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) nft holders.
A BAYC owner, “Crumz”, recently shared his encounter with these scammersdetailing the elaborate scheme designed to steal your digital assets.
BAYC collector’s close encounter with scammers
According For Crumz, the scam began when he received a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) from someone claiming to be a Forbes editor named Robert Lafranco.
Intrigued by the prospect of appearing in an article about BAYC, Crumz proceeded cautiously and conducted a cursory online search that apparently confirmed the person’s identity. Unbeknownst to him, the scammers had meticulously crafted a “façade of credibility.”
He alleged Forbes journalist informed Crumz of his interest in collecting first-hand accounts from BAYC owners about their experiences within the club. Despite initial surprise at being contacted, Crumz agreed to participate in a scheduled Zoom call.
Crumz further claimed that the scammers did not show up for the initial call, citing a made-up family emergency as the reason for their absence. They rescheduled the meeting for a later date.
When the rescheduled call was finally made, Crumz noticed several red flags. The people on the call refused to activate their cameras, citing technical difficulties.
Another person claiming to be Steven Ehrlich, director of research at Forbes, joined the conversation. Crumz shared his journey at BAYC, recounting the early days and highlighting the club’s unique features.
During the call, Crumz alleges that the scammers displayed additional suspicious behavior. They lacked a premium Zoom account and insisted on using multiple call links.
Additionally, they requested permission to record the screen using a separate recording robot. Although Crumz didn’t initially think about it, alarm bells rang when he was asked to find a banana and say something that sounded like his Bored Ape character.
Unable to produce a banana on the spot, Crumz momentarily apologized and muted the screen. During this momentary lapse, the scammers attempted to take control of his computer, prompting him to intervene when they navigated to the degado.cash website.
In the end, all of Crumz’s valuable NFTs were safely stored in cold storage, protecting them from potential theft. He quickly shut down his computer to ensure his safety, hoping to cut off any remote access the scammers may have gained. Crumz concluded:
I hope I’m safe now. I don’t think they can still control my computer when I turn it back on. Please stay safe, today could have been a terrible day.
Decreased sales and market share
BAYC has recently witnessed a notable drop in several key metrics. The latest nft data reveals a decrease in the number of sales, sales volume and primary sales.
According to the latest figures, the number of sales has experienced a significant drop of 33.59%, with 87 sales currently reported compared to the 131 sales recorded the previous day.
This decrease in sales has also translated into a decrease in sales in USD, with a decrease of 38.02%. Current sales volume is $2 million, up from $3 million on Sunday.
In terms of sales volume, primary sales have experienced a 100% decrease, with no current sales reported. In contrast, primary sales generated $12,000 in USD the previous day. Secondary sales volume has also decreased by 37.76%, currently standing at $2 million, down from $3 million the previous day.
Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
