Crypto investor John-Paul Thorbjornsen, known as JP Thor, became a victim of scammers who deceitfully accessed his old keys and stole $1.3 million from his wallet.
How the Attack Happened?
JP Thor confirmed that hackers accessed his old private keys stored in iCloud Keychain, allowing them to drain an old MetaMask wallet he forgot about. The attack was carried out through a conference call scam involving a hacked Telegram account, a fake Zoom link, and even a deepfake video of his friend.
Warnings and Lessons
Following the incident, Thor warned that private keys remain unsafe, even when forgotten. He advised crypto users to transition to multi-factor wallets that split keys across multiple devices. While his MetaMask wallet was drained, other wallets of Thor remained untouched.
Community Discussion of the Incident
Analyst ZachXBT noted in his posts that JP Thor may have been victimized as a form of retribution by North Korea, as he might have previously benefited from laundering funds stolen from other users. Bloggers and crypto community members are actively discussing the situation, highlighting the importance of security in the cryptocurrency world.
The JP Thor case highlights the need for increased vigilance among cryptocurrency users. Given the growing number of hacks and cyber incidents, it is vital to prioritize the security of one's assets and consider implementing multi-factor solutions.
