Binance CEO Warns of ‘Massive’ SMS Phishing Scam

Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao warned early on Friday of a “massive phishing scam via SMS" with a link to cancel withdrawals that leads to a website that harvests Binance users' credentials.

“NEVER click on links from SMS! Always go to http://Binance.com via a bookmark or type it in,” Zhao wrote.

A Binance spokesperson said that Zhao was warning people in general about SMS phishing scams and citing one that had targeted Binance users, but not saying there was only one specific scam against Binance.
It was unclear how many Binance customers had been targeted with the scam, how many had fallen victim to it or what threat there has been to their funds.
Customers being defrauded in this and other ways remain a common feature of the crypto industry even on major exchanges. Most recently, nearly $34 million was stolen from Crypto.com users via a hack on Jan. 17.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Jamie Crawley

Jamie Crawley is a CoinDesk news reporter based in London.

Follow @JamieCrawleyCD on Twitter

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.