EigenLayer’s X Account Hacked for Fake Airdrop Promotion

In the early hours of Friday, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of EigenLayer, a leading restaking protocol, was hacked and exploited to promote a fraudulent airdrop, as confirmed by its developer, Eigen Labs.

The assailants took control of the account to disseminate misleading information about a non-existent reallocation of EIGEN tokens for the Season 2 airdrop. This malicious effort aimed to entice users into clicking on dubious links and filing claims under false pretenses.

Consequences and Insights

In response to the breach, Eigen Labs promptly informed users about the hack, advising them to refrain from engaging with the misleading posts and dangerous links.

The developer highlighted the necessity of verifying any communication and ensuring users interacted only with the true EigenLayer domain, “eigenlayer.xyz.”

The @eigenlayer account has been breached. Please avoid any suspicious links and ensure you verify you are engaging with ‘https://t.co/tg4hzOLtP5‘.

We will provide updates once the account is secured.

— Eigen Labs (@eigen_labs) October 18, 2024

The counterfeit airdrop messages on EigenLayer’s X account followed a distinct format, starting with a notice promoting a fictitious EIGEN token distribution for Season 2 participants.

This initial communication included a harmful link intended to deceive users into participating in the ploy. Moments later, the hackers circulated another notice encouraging users to claim rewards, followed by a third “final call” post to heighten the sense of urgency.

These communications closely resembled the authentic announcement for EigenLayer’s real Season 2 stakedrop, which had been issued in September, with its claim window already closed.

The Revelation

Scam Sniffer, a platform dedicated to combatting crypto scams, swiftly detected the fraudulent promotion, confirming the harmful nature of the links involved.

EigenLayer’s X account was compromised and posted phishing tweets. pic.twitter.com/lInHpMIEIM

— Scam Sniffer | Web3 Anti-Scam (@realScamSniffer) October 18, 2024

The platform alerted users about the potential dangers and recommended against engaging with the fraudulent posts. Meanwhile, the blockchain investigator, ZachXBT, had already issued a preliminary alert on his Telegram channel.

ZachXBT notified his followers that EigenLayer’s X account had been compromised and warned against clicking any links shared during the incident.

Importantly, the scam incident involving EigenLayer represents a well-known tactic employed by hackers to ensnare investors in scams.

Recently, the FBI apprehended the individual responsible for the January breach of the US SEC’s X account, which resulted in a misleading post alleging that the US SEC had approved the listing of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds—a claim that the SEC never officially made.