Crypto Exec Warns of 'ELUSIVE COMET' Threat After Losing 75% of Assets

Emblem Vault CEO Jake Gallen has issued a stark warning to X users to be wary of the video meeting app Zoom after losing over 75% of his digital assets to a suspicious threat actor known as "ELUSIVE COMET". The incident highlights the growing concern of phishing scams and cyber attacks in the crypto industry.

Gallen, a podcaster and NFT collector, revealed that he had been battling a "complete computer compromise" after being targeted by the malicious actor during a Zoom meeting. Despite having robust cybersecurity measures in place, Gallen's wallet was drained, resulting in a loss of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) assets.

"Unfortunately, this led to $100k+ in purchased digital assets being lost," he said on X. "We were able to retrieve a malware file that was installed on my computer during a Zoom call with a YouTube personality of over 90k subs."

The malicious actor, identified as "ELUSIVE COMET", employed sophisticated social engineering tactics to trick victims into installing malware and stealing their crypto. According to SEAL, the cybersecurity firm working with Gallen, ELUSIVE COMET is known to operate Aureon Capital, a venture capital firm that claims to be legitimate but is actually behind millions of dollars in stolen funds.

"The threat actor is responsible for 'millions of dollars in stolen funds' and poses a significant risk to users due to their 'carefully engineered backstory'," SEAL reported. Samczsun, a security researcher at SEAL, advised users who have interacted with Aureon Capital to contact the firm's emergency hotline on Telegram.

Gallen highlighted the risks associated with using Zoom for video conferencing, particularly when dealing with strangers or unverified accounts. "For this scam to take place, it's said that the guest of the Zoom video call allows remote access to the host of the call, which is a requestable feature that is DEFAULT ON for every Zoom account," he explained.

NFT collector Leonidas confirmed the default settings and advised those in the crypto industry to prevent remote access. "If you don't do this, anybody who is on a Zoom call with your employees can take over their entire computer by default," he said.

How to Protect Yourself

With the rise of phishing scams and cyber attacks, it's essential for crypto users to take precautions when using video conferencing platforms like Zoom. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself:

* Always verify the identity of the person you're meeting with before accepting a Zoom invitation.

* Disable remote access whenever possible and only enable it when absolutely necessary.

* Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts, including your crypto wallets and X account.

* Keep your operating system and software up to date with the latest security patches.

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