Manta Network Co-Founder Exposes Lazarus-Backed Zoom Phishing Scam
18.04.2025 08:21
Manta Network co-founder Kenny Li revealed that he was targeted by a sophisticated phishing attack on Zoom, where hackers used live recordings of familiar faces to trick him into downloading a malicious script. The impersonated video call appeared realistic, complete with active camera footage but no sound, and prompted Li to update his Zoom. Sensing something was off, he challenged the impersonator over Telegram, but the attacker erased all messages and blocked him shortly thereafter. Li has pointed to the North Korean state-backed Lazarus Group as being behind the attack. In his conversation with Cointelegraph, he highlighted that the live shots used in the call were genuine recordings of actual team members, not AI-generated visuals, and warned the crypto community against downloading any unexpected files or updates. A similar incident was reported by another member of ContributionDAO, further underlining the vulnerability of crypto executives to such high-level social engineering tactics.
The news is likely to have a negative short-term impact on MANTA's price due to increased investor concerns over security vulnerabilities and reputational risk. Historically, similar high-profile security incidents have led to immediate selling pressure, as market participants react to the threat of state-backed cyber attacks. In the longer term, if Manta Network implements stronger security measures and restores investor confidence, the impact could be mitigated. Factors such as the high sophistication of the phishing attempt, the association with the Lazarus Group, and the potential for similar future attacks contribute to a cautious market outlook.