A 64-year-old man surnamed Ye in Taichung City almost fell victim to an online scam using the “MetaMask” (commonly known as the “Fox Wallet”) tool, which has recently become a tool used by fraudsters to deceive middle-aged and elderly people, causing them to fall into the trap of zero U address poisoning (zero transfer attack) due to their unfamiliarity with blockchain applications.
According to reports, Mr. Ye began to get involved in cryptocurrency trading based on a friend’s recommendation. He downloaded the widely used “MetaMask” wallet and encountered a series of transaction failures during the investment process. After exporting more than 100,000 yuan, Mr. Ye decided to follow his friend’s suggestion and open an online banking account at a bank.
During the process of applying for an online banking account, it was initially claimed that he needed to invest in stocks, but the bank staff discovered that he was using the “MetaMask” wallet.
Bank staff noticed that the “MetaMask” application used by Mr. Ye was repeatedly flashing abnormally, suspecting that he had been targeted by scammers. Therefore, they quickly notified the police.
Police officers Peng Wenjun and Wu Junhao from the Third Police Station rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the report. Although Mr. Ye initially insisted that he would not be fooled, further investigation by the police revealed that he may have fallen into the trap of a fraud syndicate.
Although “MetaMask” is a commonly used encrypted wallet for cryptocurrency trading, recent criminals have created fake transaction addresses through technology, thereby transferring funds to the scammers’ accounts (also known as zero U address poisoning or zero transfer attack).
Law enforcement agencies have also been fooled? The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration fell victim to a “zero transfer attack,” with 50,000 USDT transferred to a fraudulent address.
(What is a zero transfer attack: Cryptocurrency wallet addresses cannot be judged solely by the beginning and end. Zhao Changpeng CZ reminds: Binance was once scammed out of 20 million US dollars.)
The police remind the public to remain highly vigilant when faced with seemingly attractive high-yield investment opportunities. Any investment carries risks, especially in the emerging and ever-changing field of cryptocurrency. Before conducting any transactions, one should carefully evaluate and conduct research and seek professional advice if necessary. If in doubt, assistance can be sought by calling the “165” anti-fraud hotline.
Ministry of the Interior National Police Agency 165 Anti-Fraud Website:
https://165.npa.gov.tw/
Facebook page “165 Anti-Fraud Promotion”:
https://www.facebook.com/165bear/
MetaMask
Zero Transfer Attack
Zero U Address Poisoning