Key Highlights
- DeFiLlama founder 0xngmi said a fake DeFiLlama app on Apple’s App Store was removed after the team demonstrated that it could drain a cryptocurrency wallet.
- The team reportedly loaded a small test wallet, installed the application, and confirmed that the funds were drained.
- DeFiLlama had reportedly spent months reporting the application to Apple over trademark violations and impersonation concerns.
DeFiLlama founder 0xngmi said that a fake DeFiLlama app listed on Apple’s App Store was removed after the team demonstrated that it could drain a crypto wallet.
In an X post on Saturday, the founder stated the team had spent months reporting the application to Apple, citing trademark violations and impersonation concerns. The app was eventually removed after the team demonstrated its ability to drain funds from a test wallet.
The Crypto Times team tried to reach out to Apple team for a comment on the matter, but did not receive any at the time of publication.
DeFiLlama team tests fake app before removal
0xngmi said the team loaded a small wallet, downloaded the application, and confirmed that the wallet was drained as expected. The incident was then reported to Apple, after which the application was removed within days.
The post did not specify the exact amount drained from the test wallet or provide additional technical details about the application’s code or distribution method beyond its presence on the official Apple platform.
Recent phishing and impersonation incidents
The DeFiLlama incident follows several other crypto-related phishing and impersonation attacks reported in August.
On August 13, Hyperliquid users lost approximately $550,000 in a phishing attack involving fraudulent Google advertisements, according to blockchain data and a security researcher. DarcyAri, co-founder of FlashRescue, flagged the incident in an X post, stating that a Google paid-ad phishing campaign targeted Hyperliquid users and resulted in the losses.
The co-founder noted that such Google paid-ad phishing incidents occur frequently and advised users to exercise care with their accounts.
On August 7, hardware wallet provider Trezor reported an increase in phishing websites that impersonate the company. These included fake sites appearing in sponsored search results. The company stated that the sites can appear highly similar to legitimate pages and that entering a wallet backup on one of them could lead to the theft of funds.
Trezor advised users never to enter a wallet backup on a website or share it with anyone and not to assume that a sponsored search result is legitimate. The company recommended verifying that any site used is the official Trezor website.
Trusted platforms remain a target
The three incidents involved different platforms and methods.
The Hyperliquid case centered on paid search advertisements directing users to fraudulent interfaces. The Trezor case involved websites designed to mimic the official service and appear in search results. The DeFiLlama matter involved an application listed on a major mobile app store under a name associated with an existing project.
For users, the incidents highlight the need to verify an application’s publisher, website domain, and official project communications rather than relying solely on an app store listing or sponsored search result.
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