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Category: Hacks → Wallet Drainers & Malicious Token ApprovalsHacksWallet DrainersStaking ScamsReading time: 10 minutes
Risk level: High
Target audience: Stakers, Ethereum users

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Meet Bukola

Bukola has ₦5 million in ETH and wants to stake it to earn rewards. She sees an ad on Google for “Lido Staking – Earn 3.5% on your ETH”: Link: lido-staking-easy.com She clicks and lands on a professional-looking page that explains Lido staking and asks her to “deposit ETH to stake.” She deposits ₦5 million worth of ETH. She’s asked to approve a “staking contract” to process the deposit. She approves. The contract drains all her ETH.

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Where the Scammer Won

  • Google ad spoofing: The ad appeared in search results, making it seem legitimate.
  • Domain typosquatting: lido-staking-easy.com vs. real lido.fi.
  • Staking approval: The approval request seemed normal for staking operations.
  • Professional design: The site looked official and trustworthy.

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Red Flags Bukola Missed

  • Official Lido domain is lido.fi, not lido-staking-easy.com.
  • Google ads can be spoofed. Attackers bid on ads for legitimate protocols and link to fakes.
  • Contract address wasn’t verified before approval.
  • No official verification from Lido’s official channels.

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How Staking Scams Work

What happens: Scammer creates Google ads targeting searches for legitimate staking protocols, linking to fake sites.
What happens: Professional-looking site created that clones official staking protocol design.
What happens: Site asks user to deposit ETH and approve “staking contract.”
What happens: Approval is granted to drainer contract, not legitimate staking contract.
What happens: Once approved, drainer contract moves all ETH to attacker’s address.

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Prevention

Never click Google ads for financial services. Go directly to the official website.
Verify the domain in your browser’s address bar.
Use official staking interfaces: Lido’s official site is lido.fi.
Verify contract addresses on EtherScan before approving.
Check official channels: Verify staking offers on official website or verified social accounts.

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If You Already Deposited and Lost ETH

1

Revoke Approval Immediately

Use Revoke.cash to revoke the staking contract approval.
2

Check for Remaining Funds

Check if any ETH remains in your wallet.
3

Report the Site

Report the fake site to ChainAbuse and alert Lido.
4

Report the Google Ad

Report the fake Google ad to Google Ads.
5

Report the Contract

Report the drainer contract address to ChainAbuse.

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Check Your Wallet

Verify if addresses are reported as malicious

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References

  1. Lido - Official Website and Staking
  2. Google Ads - How to Report Fraudulent Ads
  3. ChainAbuse - Report Scam Addresses