Ice Phishing – What You Need to Know and How to Stay Safe

Ice phishing is an increasing problem in Web3, and you must learn how to defend yourself against it. For example, are you sure you are safe whenever you trust a website for DeFi transactions? Could it be a malicious actor waiting to steal your tokens?

How is Ice Phishing different from typical phishing, and how to protect from it? 

A Relatively New Threat- Ice Phishing

Ice phishing is an online attack where criminals trick users into granting permissions that allow malicious actors to spend tokens. This differs from traditional phishing, which aims to access confidential information such as passwords or private keys via social engineering.

The danger, in this case, is clear. To interact with DeFi protocols, users must grant permission for the protocol to interact with tokens.

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Malicious actors only have to convince the user that the address they are providing is authentic. Once users grant permission, it’s easy for the hacker to drain assets from wallets or smart contracts.

How It Differs from Traditional Phishing

There are at least five in which ice phishing differs from traditional phishing:

1. First, there is no need for a user to enter their private keys or passwords.
2. The attack is executed by exploiting users’ ignorance about DeFi protocols and the permission structure of DApp interactions.
3. Unlike traditional phishing, there is no need for malicious actors to create fake websites. Instead, they can disguise themselves as legitimate new projects.
4. The attack is silent, and there is no clear way to notify the user about its transferred tokens.
5. It is difficult to track down malicious actors or recover stolen funds due to the anonymous nature of DeFi protocols.

Therefore, it is clear that ice phishing represents a much greater threat than traditional phishing attacks. To stay safe, users must know these dangers and verify the legitimacy of the websites they interact with.

Pay Attention to the Red Flags

When it comes to ice phishing, there are several warning signs that users should look out for. These include:

1. Unfamiliar URLs or websites with no verification from trusted sources such as CoinMarketCap or Coingecko.
2. Fake Twitter accounts that tag bots in posts and have very few followers.
3. Promises of unrealistic rewards or prizes.
4. Sites not providing contact information or a customer service number.
5. Unusual requests for personal information such as passwords, private keys, or email addresses.
6. Poorly written copy, spelling mistakes, and glaring grammatical errors.

Let us be clear: the six points above do not automatically indicate an ice phishing case. However, they should serve as red flags that users should be wary of.

Whatever you do, remember to never sign a transaction without verifying the legitimacy of the website you are interacting with. It is this digital signature that grants malicious actors access to your tokens.

How Hackers Trick Users

You may think this attack would be challenging to execute, but hackers use a variety of tactics to trick users. For example, criminals may set up phishing sites that look exactly like legitimate sites, hoping to capture user credentials.

They can also create fake social media accounts and spread misinformation about a project. Hackers may even impersonate real project team members to gain potential victims’ trust.

Furthermore, check Telegram groups and other online forums that offer giveaways and prizes for participation in their fake project. These tactics aim at deceiving unaware users into believing that a legitimate project backs the platform.

Remember: these scammers want you to connect your wallet to their platform. To achieve this, they’ll promise you fantastic rewards, such as free tokens or excessive returns.

Fake Partnerships on Scam Sites

Another awful tactic scammers employ fake listing partnerships on their sites. Users who see a website affiliated with a reputable company are more inclined to trust it and connect their wallets.

You’d be surprised how many institutional investors overestimate the importance of relevant partnerships in the crypto sector. The general mindset appears that a project must be legitimate if significant venture capital firms back a blockchain project.

Verifying whether the partnerships listed on a website are genuine is easy, thanks to search engines. A few clicks will reveal if the companies named have invested in the project or are merely window dressing.

Going to Trusted Sites

We mentioned this matter above, but let us develop it further. Before investing, visit an independent source like CoinMarketCap or Coingecko to check the website’s legitimacy and confirm its existence.

If you do not know how to run a thorough check, you can follow the steps below:

1. First, look for the project’s website.
2. Check the domain name and verify if it is an official site of that project.
3. Next, head over to CoinMarketCap or Coingecko and ensure that those websites listed are legitimate and up-to-date.
4. Next, search on Google to see if the website is associated with fraudulent activity or scam reports.
5. Finally, double-check the team members listed on their site to ensure they are real people and not just stock images.

On-Chain Checks

Last but not least, blockchain technology allows you to run specific checks to identify whether a project is legit. You are likely familiar with websites such as Etherscan or Blockchain. These platforms can give you a good understanding of the project’s transaction history.

These websites help you verify if the funds sent out to investors or users come from a legitimate wallet address. 

Most new crypto projects share their wallets publicly. So contact the team or project members immediately if you spot anything suspicious, like transactions to unknown addresses.

You may be dealing with scammers if you cannot find any public address associated with the project. This is not necessarily a sign of alarm, but you should proceed cautiously.

Final Thoughts

Nowadays, the crypto space is full of scam projects and scammers trying to take your money. Fortunately, you can drastically reduce your chances of being a victim of an ice phishing attack by using the steps above.

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Always double-check the information on websites and research team members to ensure they are real people. It is also important to remember that many crypto projects are decentralized and open-source. Therefore, you can always read the project’s whitepaper or check its source code for further information.

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