Pepe memecoin frenzy gets unwanted attention from scammers
Security firm CertiK alerted the community to a fraudulent Pepe website offering rewards, cautioning that the site is linked to a phishing contract.
As the hype surrounding the Pepe memecoin intensifies, bad actors have started to take notice, resulting in scam attempts now plaguing the crypto space.
According to blockchain security firm PeckShield, there have been at least 10 memecoin scams created in the last three days alone. The firm detected and reported scam tokens that recently had their liquidity removed, rug-pulling investors.
#PeckShieldAlert We have detected a series of #rugpulls involving the creation of ~10 Scam #MEME Tokens within the last 3 days. #PEPEDOGE, #PEPEC, #WOW, #MEME, #FOUR, #NEWPEPE, #BENZ, #BMW, #POP, and #BOBO, which was created ~3 hours ago and has just had its liquidity removed.… pic.twitter.com/pVOUMwv5Qt
— PeckShieldAlert (@PeckShieldAlert) May 11, 2023
On Twitter, fake Pepe claim sites are also starting to become more prevalent. Cybersecurity company CertiK also issued an alert regarding a fake Pepe site claiming to provide rewards. The firm warned the community that the website was connected to a phishing contract.
Meanwhile, Pepe’s official community Telegram group has also been seeing occasional posts from fake accounts trying to redirect users to various websites. Channel members have been consistently reporting and trying to ban users suspected of promoting scams.
gm
couple of reminders
1. $pepe has no airdrops, staking, claims, mints, raffles, giveaways, etc. these are all scams. do not connect your wallet.
2. the $pepe team is not and will not be involved with the development of any other tokens or projects. any claims are false. pic.twitter.com/dzk6t7Sjlf— Pepe (@pepecoineth) May 6, 2023
The Pepe token’s creators have repeatedly warned the community to refrain from connecting their wallets to pages with suspicious airdrops and giveaway claims. In addition, the team highlighted that they are not associated with other tokens or projects.
Related: PEPE vs. DOGE: How the memecoins performed their first time hitting a $1B market cap
On May 5, Pepe hit a $1 billion market capitalization after being listed on Binance. The token surged by more than 4,000% since its creation in mid-April, reaching a total market cap of $1.82 billion. However, days after its peak, the token’s market capitalization sunk by more than a billion dollars.
The token has also had its share of controversies. Crypto exchange Coinbase recently warned its users that Pepe has been “co-opted as a hate symbol by alt-right groups.” The exchange’s announcement received backlash from the Pepe community, with some demanding a retraction of the statement and threatening to close their accounts with the exchange.
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