Model and presenter Wanda Nara, of Masterchef Argentina, had her image used by a memecoin scam that stole BRL 1.2 million in Ethereum from its victims.
Wife of striker Mauro Icardi, ex-PSG, Wanda Nara is a famous presenter who has never revealed that she invested in cryptocurrencies. Still, she allowed her image to be used by the counterfeit memecoin “Wanda Nara Crypto”.
When looking for investors for the $VIRAL project, the creators of the bogus scheme claimed to be giving investors “free cryptocurrencies”.
To convince victims, the Twitter scam even used a verified profile, with a gold seal, to convince investors of the alleged legitimacy of the scheme.
Masterchef presenter had image used by memecoin scam that stole BRL 1.2 million
according to a research by blockchain analyst ZachXBT, the entire scam involved using the image of Wanda Nara, a famous Argentinian model and host of Masterchef in her home country.
For example, the scammers used the image of the influencer to say that the new cryptocurrency project would involve several celebrities who supported the cause.
It is worth remembering that by using a profile with a gold seal on Twitter, the scammers passed the image of a highly verified project to the victims.
In total, the scammers profited from 131 ETH in a few days, worth about BRL 1.2 million at the current exchange rate.
Even in connection with the big blow, model Wanda Nara herself has not publicly commented on the use of her image.
Profile of possible scam collects more than 1.7 million followers via Twitter and says it will return money
What draws attention to the new $VIRAL scam is that the memecoin has 1.7 million followers on a Twitter account. Founded in 2011, the account claims to be based in Turkey and continues to announce the potential scam to investors.
As established by live coinsHowever, the profile of possible scammers announced last Sunday (28) that it will refund all money. According to the announcement, they are sorry that the project’s image is linked to a scam.
In addition, they reported that they do not need to raise funds from investors as they are meme whales. For example, they stated that they will return all funds to investors and that the possibly fake project will be relaunched.
“First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for the recent events that have caused concern and uncertainty around our $VIRAL project.
I am deeply saddened that our initiative has been called into question and I fully understand the doubts and fears that have been expressed. As creators of $VIRAL, we have learned from this experience and are absolutely committed to TRANSPARENCY and HONESTY.
I have heard your concerns and have decided to take IMMEDIATE action to restore your TRUST in our PROJECT. $VIRAL is made of great WHALES or MEMES and we will make $VIRAL an unparalleled success. TODAY I am announcing that we are RETURNING ALL FUNDS invested in $VIRAL.
Yes, you read that right. A total of 144 ETH will be returned to our loyal investors as a sign of our commitment to fairness and transparency. Our PRIORITY has always been and will continue to be the TRUST and SECURITY of our community.”
Best $VIRAL HOLDERS,
First of all, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for the recent events that have caused concern and uncertainty around us $VIRAL project. I am deeply saddened that our initiative has been called into question and I understand the doubts and fears that…
— VIRAL (@ViralTokenErc20) May 28, 2023
In any case, the case illustrates the risks of new memecoins appearing in the cryptocurrency market day after day, with great promises of quick and easy profits.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
