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Beware of Scammer VCs: The New Wave of Phishing in Crypto
🚨 Beware of Scammer VCs: The New Wave of Phishing in Crypto Crypto founders, beware: not every “VC” sliding into your inbox is who they say they are.
In the fast-paced world of Web3, where funding rounds and partnerships happen over Telegram and Zoom calls, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum. But recently, a new kind of scam has emerged — one that mimics the behavior and language of legitimate venture capitalists. The goal? To trick you into giving them access to your device. 🎭 Step 1: The Perfect Intro It all starts with a message that seems completely legit. Hi, I’m Kazushi Okamoto, founding Partner at Nonagon Capital. We’re an investment firm focused on early-stage Web3 and crypto projects…
He continues with details that sound familiar to anyone in crypto: Offers of strategy supportHelp with KOLs and expansion in AsiaA quick intro call to "explore synergies"
It’s professional. Warm. It reads like dozens of real investor intros. That’s the trap. 🍭 Step 2: Sweetening the Deal Once trust is built, the next message introduces names:
Just wanted to intro you to Jordi (Selini Capital CIO) and Taiki (HFA)...
They "love your project" and want to meet. A call is scheduled in a “private investor group.” It feels like an exclusive opportunity. Your guard is down. 🧑💻 Step 3: The Phishing Link Shortly before the meeting, the scammer sends a fake Zoom link:
At a glance, it looks like Zoom. But it’s a malicious site designed to imitate the real thing.
Critical Red Flags: Suspicious links with typos or odd domains (e.g., “zoom.us**web.us”).Requests to download/install unverified software.Urgency to bypass standard security practices.
Once opened, it prompts you with a fake message:
“⚠️ Your audio device needs repair to join this meeting. Please run the script below to fix it.”
The script, of course, is malware. And the moment you run it, they have access to your system — including wallets, private keys, passwords, and files.
🧠 Why It Works: The Psychology Behind the Scam This scam works not because victims are naive, but because it’s engineered to exploit human psychology:
Authority bias: The scammer poses as a VC — someone you naturally trust or look up to in Web3.Social proof: Fake intros to well-known names create the illusion of credibility.Urgency and exclusivity: “We scheduled a private call.” You feel you’re getting privileged access.Technical confusion: You’re in a rush, under pressure, and just want to fix the “audio” issue and not miss the meeting.
Combined, these elements override rational caution — even for experienced founders. 🔒 Final Words: Stay Paranoid, Stay Safe Scammers evolve fast. Today, it’s “VC phishing.” Tomorrow, it’ll be something else. But a few golden rules can keep you safe:
Never install anything from a meeting link.Always verify the domain — real Zoom links never ask you to run scripts.Join meetings manually by ID if you’re unsure.Use only trusted apps on your phone or protected environments like sandboxed browsers. When in doubt, assume it’s a scam. The worst that can happen is you miss a fake meeting — not your private keys.
⚠️ Beware of scammers. Not every investor is legit. In Web3, trust must be earned, not assumed.
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