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SecurityQuiet 3d · day 4

Scammers trick crypto users into draining their own wallets via fake Claude bot tutorials

A viral X thread describes YouTube tutorials that lure people into building an AI trading bot and unknowingly deploying malicious code themselves.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 3d ago2 pieces5.2k likes & upvotes362 comments XHacker News

What to know

  • A newly described scam avoids sending victims a phishing link by having them voluntarily copy and deploy malicious code themselves.
  • The scheme uses YouTube tutorials advertising how to build an AI crypto trading bot with Claude as the hook.
  • The exposing X post gained over 5,000 likes and 360 comments before spreading to Hacker News, though the full technical mechanism (what the deployed 'smart' contract does) is cut off in the available text.

@wyckoffweb X user who exposed the scamScammers (unidentified) Perpetrators of the schemeAnthropic's Claude AI model referenced in the fraudulent tutorials

Scammers trick crypto users into draining their own wallets via fake Claude bot tutorials
x.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

Peak 1 piece in one hour at Sep 20, 9 AM; 2 pieces over 4 days (2 posts) Sep 20, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — X 1Sep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quiet 12
Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 3:43 AM ET
  1. 2

    Story spreads to Hacker News

    The X post is submitted to Hacker News, extending discussion of the scam technique to a new audience.

  2. 1

    @wyckoffweb exposes self-drain crypto scam via fake AI bot tutorials

    A viral X post describes scammers posting YouTube tutorials that walk viewers through building an AI crypto trading bot with Claude; victims copy the code and deploy a smart contract that drains their own wallet, with no phishing link required.

    “Scammers found a way to make people drain their own wallets without sending them a phishing link.”
    — @wyckoffweb