Some would call the latest NFT trend a bubble, but the fact remains that non-fungible tokens are a new way to earn. At least when everything works right.
Unfortunately, a vast number of wallets in the NFT exchange OpenSea got emptied.
A Nasty Form of NFT to Blame
According to the latest research, there was a nasty form of NFT in circulation that caused issues with many wallets. This NFT came with its own malware package. At one point, users started receiving free NFTs from an unknown sender.
However, once they accepted the transaction, the attackers got access to their wallets.
Then the code inside the NFT would generate a pop-up that, once clicked, empties the wallets. Luckily for the users, OpenSea had sorted it out within one hour. At the moment, the platform appears to be safe to use.
Still, the US Treasury report shows that ransomware attacks have stolen over $5.3 billion in Bitcoin over the last three years. The Treasury also claims there are at least 60 different variants of the malware out there.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network report also states that the ransom taken within the first six months of 2021 accounts for $590 million, up from $416 million in 2020. This number shows that the attacks are getting worse, especially if SARs reports are considered.