Tethers CEO issues alert about fraudulent crypto airdrop emails potential impact on CoinGecko

Update as of June 5 at 12:00 pm UTC: This article has been revised to incorporate statements from Cyvers.
A word of caution has been issued to cryptocurrency users, as a well-known figure in the industry raises the alarm about a potential surge in crypto airdrop scam emails.
According to Paolo Ardoino, the CEO of Tether, a popular provider of email list management services frequently utilized by crypto companies has reportedly fallen victim to a data breach.
Ardoino, who has a following of 234,000, shared his concerns in a post on June 5:
Although Ardoino has refrained from revealing the identity of the compromised company, he has assured that further details will be provided once the investigation is concluded.
Cointelegraph has reached out to Tether for a response.
To shield themselves from phishing emails, users are advised by Hakan Unal, a senior blockchain scientist at Cyvers, to verify the legitimacy of the emails and ensure that they have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on their crypto platforms. He informed Cointelegraph:
Shortly after Ardoino’s initial warning, a third entity confirmed the attack – cryptocurrency tracking site CoinGecko.
The breach has impacted a crypto email newsletter service used by multiple companies, as per Bobby Ong, the co-founder and COO of CoinGecko.
Ong cautioned users in a post on June 5:
He urged users to refrain from clicking on any links related to a fake CoinGecko token, which is not in the works, or any emails promising new token launches.
The issue of crypto scams and hacks continues to be a significant concern within the cryptocurrency sector.
A report by PeckShield on June 1 disclosed that over $574 million in digital assets were lost in 30 separate crypto hacks during May 2024.
This amount signifies a staggering month-on-month rise of 666% compared to the $385 million lost in April.
Image:
Crypto hacks in May 2024. Source: PeckShield
The surge in crypto hacks underscores the need for heightened vigilance and security measures within the industry.