On March 28th, MetaMask—a web3 wallet provider—cautioned its users against the false rumors circulating on social media that they would receive a MetaMask snapshot or airdrop on March 31. In a tweet, they stated that there had been “quite a few rumors” about the matter.
🚨There are quite a few false rumors going around about a MetaMask snapshot/airdrop/etc. on March 31.
These rumors are not only false, but they are dangerous. They create opportunities for scammers and phishers.
Please be on the lookout for fake sites in the coming days🙏
— MetaMask 🦊💙 (@MetaMask) March 28, 2023
MetaMask has cautioned against these false rumors, warning that they can create opportunities for malicious actors to scam and phish unsuspecting users. Cryptopolitan identified several Twitter accounts claiming to be associated with MetaMask or offering a MetaMask token airdrop, which are likely fraudulent.
A Twitter account falsely claiming to be affiliated with MetaMask which links to a malicious phishing website.
MetaMask has taken to Twitter to deny the false rumors of an upcoming airdrop and cautioned users to be wary of any suspicious sites in the near future. They strongly advise their users to stay vigilant and not fall prey to any form of online fraud.
Screenshot from a phishing website claiming to be MetaMask
On March 14, Joe Lubin, the CEO of ConsenSys and co-founder of Ethereum, reiterated during a “fireside chat” at ETHDenver 2023 that his firm is working to decentralize MetaMask. These rumors may be linked to this statement as Lubin reportedly later confirmed plans to launch a token.
On November 8, 2021, Lubin tweeted a hint of a potential MetaMask token launch, asking “Wen $MASK? Stay tuned.”
Andrew, ConsenSys has thousands of tokens on our balance sheet. ConsenSys is vigorously controlled by its employees, which includes me. And we are driving towards decentralization of several of our projects. Wen $MASK? Stay tuned. Wen objective journalism, ser?
— Joseph Lubin (@ethereumJoseph) November 8, 2021
Rumors of an imminent airdrop on MetaMask have been debunked. However, according to community replies, many are still optimistic that an airdrop may take place at some point in the near future. Data from DappRadar reveals that activity on MetaMask surged following these rumors; transactions jumped from a baseline of around 8,000 on March 27 to an astounding 21,460.
This isn’t the first time MetaMask has seen a surge in activity due to speculation about an airdrop; similar events occurred following drops from both the Ethereum Name Service and Lubin’s mention of a token back in November 2021.
