Discord Scammers Stole $170,000 from Artist
Date: 2025-09-02 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
Artist and crypto enthusiast Princess Hypio fell victim to scammers operating through the popular Discord platform, losing $170,000 in cryptocurrency and NFTs. According to her, the attacker first gained trust in the community and then offered to install the game through Steam. The game itself turned out to be safe, but the server on which it was hosted contained malware that allowed hackers to gain full access to the device and crypto wallets. In addition to Hypio, three more of her friends suffered in a similar way.
According to the artist, the scheme works on the principle of gradually establishing trust. Scammers join Discord groups, watch the participants' communication, study jokes and circle of friends in order to appear like familiar people. After that, they find NFT owners, such as the Milady collection, and start showing interest in their assets. The attackers pose as friends of friends and invite the victim to play an online game, sometimes offering to buy it on Steam. The real danger is hidden on the server where the user is sent, and it is there that the Trojan software is activated, stealing cryptocurrency, personal data, and wiping out the Discord account.
“We just wanted to be kind to newcomers, and this desire worked against us. I would not wish this on anyone,” Princess Hypio noted.
Experts from Kraken and Halborn emphasize that trust remains the main risk in the crypto space. Trust-based schemes are becoming part of a larger picture of fraud in Web3. For example, GetBlock AML Research previously described the activities of groups involving victims in “romantic” and “investment” scams through which millions of dollars were laundered. In one operation, $47 million was frozen, and in 2023, another $225 million in stablecoins linked to human trafficking in Southeast Asia.
In other cases, the US imposed sanctions against a Russian who helped North Korean IT professionals launder cryptocurrency and transfer the proceeds to the DPRK authorities. Such schemes are built on trust: fraudsters, under false identities, get remote work at Western IT companies and withdraw profits through crypto networks.
The Princess Hypio case once again emphasizes that in the world of cryptocurrencies, attention to security and caution in online communication are extremely important. Even a seemingly safe game can become a tool for stealing funds and personal data if you trust strangers without verification.
