$2,500 stolen as of now. Taking the current teeny tiny price into consideration. 38,000 Hive to be more specific. Yet the sum is, alas, going to grow. About thirty victims. Plus dozens more of those who took the scammers' bait, but were protected from losing money by Hive's underappreciated mechanisms: the long Power Down and also the withdrawal period for HBD from Savings.
Scammers prey on ignorance, greed, or simply recklessness. If we stay silent, it plays right into their hands. You might feel that no one could fall for such scams, but the opposite is true. I played around with the database and found accounts that are currently transferring stolen Hive to exchanges. Here are the four accounts:
| Account | Sum of Withdrawals |
|---|---|
 | 27495.348 |
 | 8544.521 |
 | 1399.802 |
 | 295.429 |
And these are (probably) their victims. Probably; it is possible that some of the listed accounts transferred the funds voluntarily for some reason. However, everything suggests that everyone listed has temporarily or permanently lost their private keys, and thus their coins. Not your keys, not your crypto…
Keep in mind that scammers may still have access to some of these accounts. If you know anyone on the list, consider giving them a nudge to change their keys, if they haven't done so already. Comments from these accounts may also not actually be written by the rightful account owners.
We cannot do much about greed or recklessness, yet we can fight ignorance. In fact, a crusade against ignorance should be a moral duty for the community.
The Golden Rule: Never give your private keys to anyone. Hive Keychain is a secure, user-friendly solution that allows you to keep them secure. Sending keys via Telegram or Discord is nonsense, and no decent person will ever ask you for them, while scammers sometimes try to trick you out of them using a stolen identity.
Hive is a decentralized community. The issuance of new coins is fixed and guaranteed by the blockchain. No one can give you money just like that; they would have to earn it themselves somewhere or buy it. The easiest way to earn extra is to get more involved. Write more, comment, participate in contests and challenges... Not by clicking on suspiciously generous offers. After all, just like IRL.
It is very easy to impersonate someone's account. When someone comments oddly, check their reputation. Well-known users are well over 70. Known scam accounts, including those trying to steal someone's identity, have gone through a carpet bombing of downvotes and have a reputation below zero. Even if they look completely credible otherwise.
If you come across someone transferring funds to the four accounts listed at the beginning of this post, advise them to change their keys.
If you come across someone complaining on Discord or anywhere else that their account started a Power Down on its own, advise them to change their keys.
Downvote anyone trying to steal identities or spread similar fake giveaways.
And above all, think about what you are doing. And what Hive actually is. Because in the world of cryptocurrency, we also have a great responsibility. And as a community, we should be able to defend ourselves against scammers.