Binance CEO Warns of ‘Massive’ SMS Phishing Scam

Some Binance customers have been sent an SMS advising of a withdrawal from their account with a false link provided to cancel it, Changpeng Zhao tweeted.

AccessTimeIconFeb 4, 2022 at 3:56 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:58 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

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.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Jamie Crawley

Jamie Crawley is a CoinDesk news reporter based in London.


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.