Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson recently uncovered a scammer trying to impersonate Solana Founder Anatoly Yakovenko. Hoskinson shared a chat trail on his official X account, revealing how the fraudster tried to lure him into claiming tokens by visiting a fake website.
The conversation began with the fake Anatoly asking Hoskinson if he had claimed a reward on his TrueUSD balance. Instead of blocking the scammer right away, Hoskinson decided to play along and asked for more information on how to claim the rewards. The scammer then directed him to a fraudulent website to click on “Claim Reflections,” but Hoskinson quickly realized it was a scam and questioned the legitimacy of the offer.
Interestingly, the fake Anatoly’s account was verified, giving the impression of authenticity to the impersonation.
Crypto scams are a growing concern in the industry, with the use of artificial intelligence tools making it even more challenging to detect fraud. Deepfake videos of prominent crypto personalities like Hoskinson and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse are often used to deceive individuals.
Entities like Ripple Labs Inc. have been actively campaigning against crypto scams, aiming to educate communities on how to spot and avoid fraudulent schemes. Hoskinson’s decision to share the interaction with the scammer serves as a reminder to his followers to be cautious and vigilant when approached with suspicious offers. By asking the right questions, individuals can uncover the true intentions of scammers and protect themselves from falling victim to such schemes.