A Narrow Escape from NFT Theft
A Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collector almost lost their non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to scammers posing as Forbes journalists during a Zoom interview.
BAYC User Outsmarts Scammers
The BAYC owner, known as Crumz, shared their encounter with the fraudsters in a tweet. The scammers contacted Crumz, pretending to be Robert LaFranco, an editor at Forbes, and requested an interview about BAYC for an article.
Despite not realizing that the contacting account was fake, Crumz agreed to the interview. However, the scammers failed to show up for the first call but rescheduled for November 26. On the appointed day, they arrived late and were joined by another scammer posing as Steven Ehrlich, the research director of Forbes’ crypto arm.
Signs of Suspicion
During the interview, Crumz noticed several red flags. The scammers did not turn on their cameras and lacked a premium Zoom account. They also wanted to use a separate recorder bot to capture Crumz’s screen.
The Unusual Request
As part of the ruse, Crumz was asked to press a button to grant access for screen recording and instructed to say something related to their collectibles. Additionally, they were asked to retrieve a banana during the interview.
Hot Take: BAYC Owner Foils Attempted NFT Theft
A Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collector narrowly avoided losing their valuable non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in a scam orchestrated by individuals posing as Forbes journalists. The owner, known as Crumz, shared their harrowing experience on Twitter, recounting how the scammers attempted to steal their NFTs during a Zoom interview. Despite initial excitement and overlooking some warning signs, Crumz eventually grew suspicious of the scammers’ behavior. Their quick thinking and vigilance allowed them to outsmart the fraudsters and prevent the loss of their prized assets. This incident serves as a reminder for crypto enthusiasts to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of individuals claiming to represent reputable organizations.
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