Blockchain detective ZachXBT managed to recover most of the funds from the sale of a rare DeGods NFT stolen in May 2023 after a phishing scam. ZachXBT informed his 505,200 followers in a February 24 post about the results of his nine-month investigation into the theft of DeGods #3251 NFT and announced that most of the funds had been returned to the NFT owner.
How Was the Process Completed?
The NFT in question was sold for 99 Ethereum in May 2023, which was worth approximately $177,000 at the time. ZachXBT stated in a tweet:
“I am pleased to share that I was able to help return a significant portion of the stolen funds to the NFT owner.”
Shortly after realizing that the wallet belonging to the NFT owner had been emptied, ZachXBT received a message in May 2023 asking for his help to recover the stolen NFT.
ZachXBT’s investigations can vary in duration depending on the complexity involved. He typically uses simple diagrams to show his followers how phishing scams occur and to track the movement of funds even through crypto mixers. ZachXBT stated:
“Although the recovery process is long, it happens, and I always enjoy sharing these success stories.”
ZachXBT Continues to Attract Attention
ZachXBT also announced his plan to complete free blockchain research work in a short time. He revealed this step after receiving disappointing responses from users who, despite his reminders that he provides this service for free, sometimes cannot help them recover their stolen crypto assets.
ZachXBT plays a significant role in various areas of the crypto industry. He is notable in the crypto community for helping decrypt crypto crimes for individuals and even national authorities. In October 2022, French authorities used ZachXBT’s research to catch scammers behind a $2.5 million NFT theft.
Christophe Durand, the deputy head of France’s national cyber unit, told AFP that he became aware of the incident after observing a piece of research by ZachXBT on social media.
