Scammers create AI hologram to defraud unsuspecting projects

Patrick Hillmann, chief communications officer at Binance, reminded everyone to beware of online scammers targeting the cryptocurrency community.

About a year ago, when I first started working at Binance, I was shocked to see new employees go through layers of security protocols to get their jobs set up. Unknown to me at the time, the onboarding process was only the easiest part. Binance employees around the world undergo regular training and random security audits to ensure strict compliance with cybersecurity rules.

I’ve led one of the largest cybersecurity teams in the world and managed some of the biggest data breaches to date (US OPM, Ashley Madison, etc.), but for cyberattacks, phishing attacks, and frequent scams targeting the cryptocurrency community, I Not ready yet. Now I can understand why Binance is spending so much effort.

However, criminals are almost pervasive, and they can always adapt and circumvent even the most secure systems. Over the past month, I have received several online messages thanking me for taking the time to meet with the project team to discuss potential opportunities to list assets on Binance.com. This is weird because I have no oversight or insight into the Binance listing and have never dealt with any of them before.

Scammers create my AI hologram to defraud unsuspecting projects

It turns out that a well-thought-out team of hackers used years of news interviews and TV appearances to forge a highly simulated “me.” Aside from not seeing the 15 pounds I gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, this forgery was sophisticated enough to hide from several veteran crypto community members.

In addition to this latest incident, there has been a recent surge in hackers impersonating Binance employees and executives on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, and others. We stand ready to defend our users and our ecosystem. After all, we have the largest and most experienced cybersecurity team in the industry, including veteran top-ranking investigators who have worked for the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, IRS, Europol, and other high-profile agencies in the fight against Experienced in cybercrime. With the assistance of these world-class experts, Binance is building a safe and reliable digital asset ecosystem for all users.

However, the first line of defense is always the users themselves. As a member of the cryptocurrency community, you must:

  • Stay vigilant and always take proactive steps to ensure you don’t fall prey to scams and counterfeiting.
  • Use the Binance Verification Tool to verify that the account represents Binance Official. Note that Binance Verification is not foolproof. For example, scammers can spoof “from” email addresses, or impersonate Binance employees. In both cases, Binance Verification does not necessarily work.
  • Report any suspicious activity or account to Binance Support.

Go to Binance’s Official Website

Binance Listing Process

Ordinary users are not the only target—now, cryptocurrency project teams are frequently in the spotlight. Scammers often create fake LinkedIn profiles and use them to reach out to unsuspecting projects that promise to help them get listed on Binance’s official website.

Think back to the ‘Nigerian Prince’ scam of the early 2000s – with a small upfront payment, the ‘Prince’s estate’ was reclaimed and a large sum of money was available.

In this case, a large sum of money is equivalent to listing the token on Binance’s official website. But to get funding, these projects require an upfront payment. Fraud means changing the soup but not the medicine.

Projects that want to be listed should make sure to submit the form only through the official listing application link at the foot of the Binance official page . Be sure to double-check that you are logged into the official Binance domain and not a phishing site.

Please read through CZ’s listing tips carefully . Binance Token listing goes through a rigorous due diligence process. There is no shortcut to listing a project on Binance. If someone claims to be a Binance representative and offers a “shortcut” to listing, please report it to Binance customer service immediately.

Go to Binance’s Official Website

Defenses can not do without

Whether you are a Binance user or a blockchain startup founder, vigilance is always the most powerful weapon. Criminals don’t need to rely on advanced technical skills to steal funds, they just need to gain your trust.

If you receive an email claiming to be a “Binance employee”, please review the wording carefully. Scam emails often contain small mistakes such as spelling mistakes, odd grammar, incongruent phrases, and misspellings of domain names.

Often, scammers create a false sense of urgency to motivate victims to take action. For example, a scam email might read:

“Your Binance account will expire after one week. To avoid loss of funds, please transfer your assets to this secure wallet address.

Users should always be wary of messages asking to transfer money, or to share sensitive information such as personal details or passwords.

Go to Binance’s Official Website

Nowhere for criminals

Binance has no tolerance for illegal activity in the cryptocurrency space, as it is one of the biggest threats to the growth of the industry. As a leader in the Web3 space, we believe strongly in our responsibility to ensure responsible growth of the ecosystem – always putting user safety first and center.

Go to Binance’s Official Website