Remove “Succinct Airdrop” scam

“Succinct Airdrop” scam refers to a scam that imitates the legitimate site for the Succinct Prover Network, a protocol on the Ethereum network that coordinates a global network of provers to produce zero-knowledge proofs of various software. The scam has nothing to do with the legitimate Succinct. The platform’s name is merely misused by malicious actors to trick users into connecting their crypto wallets and initiating a crypto drainer that will steal all funds in the account. The malicious site (airdrop-succinct.com) invites users to participate in a giveaway and connect their wallets. If users fall for this, their cryptocurrency will be stolen.

 

 

Scams like this “Succinct Airdrop” crypto scam are made to trick users into initiating crypto drainers that would steal the crypto in their accounts. Users are lured in with supposed giveaways only to end up with empty crypto wallets. Scammers create deceptive websites that mimic legitimate crypto platforms, and to attract victims, they launch extensive promotional campaigns, share links on various social media platforms, and use persuasive language to promise great giveaways.

If users interact with these scam websites and connect their wallets, they unknowingly trigger a crypto drainer, a malicious tool designed to steal all cryptocurrencies stored in users’ wallets. This is done gradually so users do not notice immediately. These scams are in no way related to legitimate crypto and blockchain platforms they’re imitating, and are solely intended to enable cybercriminals to steal users’ cryptocurrencies. Succinct, for instance, is a protocol on the Ethereum network that coordinates a global network of provers to produce zero-knowledge proofs of various software. The “Succinct Airdrop” scam has no connection to Succinct whatsoever.

The official website for the legitimate Succinct is succinct.xyz, while the scam operates on airdrop-succinct.com. Despite differences in their designs, the similarity in their URLs can mislead some users. Users who interact with the scam website are prompted to manually connect their crypto wallets. This action inadvertently activates a crypto drainer, which subsequently results in the theft of all cryptocurrencies in the wallet. The stolen funds are typically transferred gradually to avoid detection, and all transactions are irreversible.

How are cryptocurrency scams promoted?

Users rarely end up on websites like succinct.xyz and other cryptocurrency scam sites by chance. Instead, these sites are often accessed through deliberate redirection from social media platforms, forums, or article comment sections designed to attract potential victims. Malicious actors frequently exploit certain social media platforms to promote cryptocurrency scams, especially X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

A common tactic used in promoting cryptocurrency scams is impersonating well-known figures such as Elon Musk. This method is especially prevalent on X, which is poorly moderated, allowing crypto scams to be freely promoted. Comments on Musk’s posts are often full of fake accounts falsely claiming he is hosting cryptocurrency giveaways or similar schemes. These impersonators create convincing profiles intended to mislead unsuspecting or inattentive users who fail to verify the details, often directing them to scams like the “Succinct Airdrop” scam. Furthermore, scammers use paid advertisements on X to promote their scam websites directly within users’ feeds. YouTube also serves as a popular platform for cryptocurrency scams, where malicious actors hijack inactive channels with large subscriber numbers to upload fake videos featuring Elon Musk, Tesla events, or announcements about fake cryptocurrency giveaways.