Uniswap Fake Teller Token: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/uniswapfaketellertoken.php}} thumb|UniswapUniswap allows anyone to list a token. Therefore, there have been a massive number of scams with tokens named similarly to popular tokens. The Tellor project did not have a token. There was still a reasonable chance someone may have looked for one, and ended up purchasing from a scammer. This is a global/international case not involvi...")
 
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{{Imported Case Study|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/uniswapfaketellertoken.php}}
{{Imported Case Study 2|source=https://www.quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/uniswapfaketellertoken.php}}
{{Unattributed Sources}}


[[File:Uniswap.jpg|thumb|Uniswap]]Uniswap allows anyone to list a token. Therefore, there have been a massive number of scams with tokens named similarly to popular tokens. The Tellor project did not have a token. There was still a reasonable chance someone may have looked for one, and ended up purchasing from a scammer.
[[File:Uniswap.jpg|thumb|Uniswap]]Uniswap allows anyone to list a token. Therefore, there have been a massive number of scams with tokens named similarly to popular tokens. The Tellor project did not have a token. There was still a reasonable chance someone may have looked for one, and ended up purchasing from a scammer.


This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.
This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.<ref name="cointelegraph-3923" /><ref name="vitalikbuterintwitter-3924" /><ref name="usetellertwitter-3925" /><ref name="etherscan-3926" /><ref name="discord-3927" /><ref name="blockthreat-2173" /><ref name="degenspartantwitter-2994" /><ref name="coinmonksmedium-1086" /><ref name="cointelegraph-2995" /><ref name="dailycoin-2996" /><ref name="balancerlabstwitter-3569" /><ref name="digitalcoinstandard-2998" /><ref name="bnnbloomberg-2999" /><ref name="hackernoon-3000" /><ref name="coinmarketcap-3001" />


== About Uniswap ==
== About Uniswap ==
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Don't Include:
Don't Include:
* Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
* Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
* Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.
* Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.
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!Description
!Description
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|August 18th, 2020 12:00:00 AM
|August 18th, 2020
|First Event
|Main Event
|This is an expanded description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.
|Expand this into a brief description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.
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== Technical Details ==
This section includes specific detailed technical analysis of any security breaches which happened. What specific software vulnerabilities contributed to the problem and how were they exploited?


== Total Amount Lost ==
== Total Amount Lost ==
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== Total Amount Recovered ==
== Total Amount Recovered ==
It is unknown how much was recovered.
There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.


What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?
What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?
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== Ongoing Developments ==
== Ongoing Developments ==
What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?
What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?
== General Prevention Policies ==
There are no reported cases of centralized platforms listing fake tokens. Such an event would likely be short-lived. Platform operators have an inherent interest in protecting their users against fraud, and the insurance fund is available for platforms to use.
== Individual Prevention Policies ==
{{Prevention:Individuals:Placeholder}}
{{Prevention:Individuals:End}}
== Platform Prevention Policies ==
{{Prevention:Platforms:Placeholder}}
{{Prevention:Platforms:End}}


== Prevention Policies ==
== Regulatory Prevention Policies ==
There are no reported cases of centralized platforms listing fake tokens. Such an event would likely be short-lived. Platform operators have an inherent interest in protecting their users against fraud, and the insurance fund is available for platforms to use.
{{Prevention:Regulators:Placeholder}}
 
{{Prevention:Regulators:End}}


== References ==
== References ==
[https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-tokens-continue-to-plague-uniswap Fake Tokens Continue to Plague Uniswap] (Sep 28)
<references><ref name="cointelegraph-3923">[https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-tokens-continue-to-plague-uniswap Fake Tokens Continue to Plague Uniswap] (Sep 29, 2021)</ref>


[https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1294462308425461762 @VitalikButerin Twitter] (Sep 28)
<ref name="vitalikbuterintwitter-3924">[https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1294462308425461762 @VitalikButerin Twitter] (Sep 29, 2021)</ref>


[https://twitter.com/useteller/status/1295831059406434305 @useteller Twitter] (Sep 28)
<ref name="usetellertwitter-3925">[https://twitter.com/useteller/status/1295831059406434305 @useteller Twitter] (Sep 29, 2021)</ref>


[https://etherscan.io/address/0xDC297D0ef0763d8953F1D672de950d100Ac4D9f7 Contract Address 0xDC297D0ef0763d8953F1D672de950d100Ac4D9f7 | Etherscan] (Sep 28)
<ref name="etherscan-3926">[https://etherscan.io/address/0xDC297D0ef0763d8953F1D672de950d100Ac4D9f7 Contract Address 0xDC297D0ef0763d8953F1D672de950d100Ac4D9f7 | Etherscan] (Sep 29, 2021)</ref>


[https://discord.gg/Ujnvh8d Teller] (Nov 7)
<ref name="discord-3927">[https://discord.gg/Ujnvh8d Teller] (Nov 8, 2021)</ref>


[https://blockthreat.substack.com/p/blockthreat-2020-a-year-in-review No Title] (Aug 2)
<ref name="blockthreat-2173">[https://blockthreat.substack.com/p/blockthreat-2020-a-year-in-review No Title] (Aug 3, 2021)</ref>


[https://twitter.com/degenspartan/status/1330764047642333184?s=21 @degenspartan Twitter] (Aug 2)
<ref name="degenspartantwitter-2994">[https://twitter.com/degenspartan/status/1330764047642333184?s=21 @degenspartan Twitter] (Aug 3, 2021)</ref>


[https://medium.com/coinmonks/how-does-uniswap-work-75765c4640e0 How Does Uniswap Work] (Jun 4)
<ref name="coinmonksmedium-1086">[https://medium.com/coinmonks/how-does-uniswap-work-75765c4640e0 How Does Uniswap Work] (Jun 5, 2021)</ref>


[https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-tokens-on-uniswap-are-trying-to-cash-in-on-defi-hype Fake Tokens on Uniswap Are Trying to Cash in on DeFi Hype] (Sep 9)
<ref name="cointelegraph-2995">[https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-tokens-on-uniswap-are-trying-to-cash-in-on-defi-hype Fake Tokens on Uniswap Are Trying to Cash in on DeFi Hype] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://dailycoin.com/scam-tokens-flooded-decentralized-exchange/ Scam Tokens Flooded Decentralized Exchange — DailyCoin] (Sep 9)
<ref name="dailycoin-2996">[https://dailycoin.com/scam-tokens-flooded-decentralized-exchange/ Scam Tokens Flooded Decentralized Exchange — DailyCoin] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://twitter.com/BalancerLabs/status/1271807613358006272 @BalancerLabs Twitter] (Sep 9)
<ref name="balancerlabstwitter-3569">[https://twitter.com/BalancerLabs/status/1271807613358006272 @BalancerLabs Twitter] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://digitalcoinstandard.com/business/uniswap-reports-a-surge-in-scam-tokens-on-the-platform-claiming-affiliation-to-popular-defi-projects/ Uniswap Reports A Surge In Scam Tokens On The Platform Claiming Affiliation To Popular DeFi Projects - Digital Coin Standard] (Sep 9)
<ref name="digitalcoinstandard-2998">[https://digitalcoinstandard.com/business/uniswap-reports-a-surge-in-scam-tokens-on-the-platform-claiming-affiliation-to-popular-defi-projects/ Uniswap Reports A Surge In Scam Tokens On The Platform Claiming Affiliation To Popular DeFi Projects - Digital Coin Standard] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/uniswap-restricts-fake-stock-tokens-as-regulatory-scrutiny-grows-1.1633179 Uniswap Restricts Fake-Stock Tokens as Regulatory Scrutiny Grows -  BNN Bloomberg] (Sep 9)
<ref name="bnnbloomberg-2999">[https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/uniswap-restricts-fake-stock-tokens-as-regulatory-scrutiny-grows-1.1633179 Uniswap Restricts Fake-Stock Tokens as Regulatory Scrutiny Grows -  BNN Bloomberg] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://hackernoon.com/how-to-avoid-buying-uniswap-defi-scams-in-2021-y51532xf How to Avoid Buying Uniswap DeFi Scams in 2021 | Hacker Noon] (Sep 9)
<ref name="hackernoon-3000">[https://hackernoon.com/how-to-avoid-buying-uniswap-defi-scams-in-2021-y51532xf How to Avoid Buying Uniswap DeFi Scams in 2021 | Hacker Noon] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref>


[https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/how-to-identify-and-avoid-uniswap-scams How to Identify and Avoid Uniswap Scams | Alexandria] (Sep 9)
<ref name="coinmarketcap-3001">[https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/how-to-identify-and-avoid-uniswap-scams How to Identify and Avoid Uniswap Scams | Alexandria] (Sep 10, 2021)</ref></references>

Latest revision as of 10:14, 2 May 2023

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Uniswap

Uniswap allows anyone to list a token. Therefore, there have been a massive number of scams with tokens named similarly to popular tokens. The Tellor project did not have a token. There was still a reasonable chance someone may have looked for one, and ended up purchasing from a scammer.

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

About Uniswap

"Uniswap is an Ethereum exchange, built using smart contracts and liquidity pools, as opposed to the order book of a traditional centralized exchange (CEX), such as Binance. With any Ethereum wallet, users can simply connect to the Uniswap application and effortlessly exchange ERC20 tokens without first sending them to the exchange platform account."

"[T]he development of Uniswap was facilitated by Vitalik Buterin’s idea for a decentralized exchange (DEX), which would involve an automated market maker. Actually, the protocol developer himself, Hayden Adams, at first tried to just practice development on Solidity, and later this hobby brought him several grants and $100 000 from the Ethereum Foundation. Now the project went far beyond just entertainment and became one of the most important components of the entire DeFi industry."

"[D]ecentralized exchanges are one of the leading DeFi sectors, whose trading volumes exceeded $1.5 billion and reached the all-time high in June. Uniswap and Curve together processed nearly $800 million, which is more than half of the overall monthly volume."

"Since its ‘V2’ overhaul in May, Uniswap has emerged as a cornerstone of the nascent DeFi ecosystem, with data published by Dune Analytics indicating that Uniswap comprises DeFi’s top pool by total users with 92,000."

"Uniswap scams are not a new happening within the crypto space. Uniswap ETH-based decentralized exchange that offers every project a chance to air its views to the world. Notwithstanding, it’s one of the most misused platforms within the DeFi world, with more entities taking advantage of its name and services."

"Scam tokens are a growing problem on the decentralized exchange and liquidity pool Uniswap — owing to the protocol’s open listing policy." "Uniswap, allows users to import any new token simply by pasting its address to the Uniswap’s swap menu."

"On August 19, upcoming decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Teller Finance tweeted that a fake Teller token and Uniswap pool had been created."

“Teller Labs has not made any official announcements on any potential, planned, or upcoming token launches.”

"ATTENTION Teller Community - It’s come to our attention that a FAKE Teller token and an accompanying Uniswap pool have been generated. ️Please disregard this token, it's not associated with Teller and likely the result of an attempted scam."

"DO NOT interact with it. As of today, Teller Labs has not made any official announcements on any potential, planned, or upcoming token launches. Follow @useteller or join our Discord for official announcements. Please retweet this message to spread awareness."

"With any token able to be listed on the platform’s drop-down menu simply by making a GitHub request, the platform’s users are increasingly calling for more stringent vetting to be introduced." "The filtering and quality control functions that are done by centralized services are essential, even though centralized actors having a chokehold on those functions is very dangerous. We need more work on decentralized reputation systems to try to get the best of both worlds."

"Uniswap Labs said [July 23rd, 2021] that it was restricting access to dozens of tokens on its trading interface app, including synthetic assets meant to mirror the prices of stock-market giants like Facebook Inc. and Tesla Inc., as well exchange-traded funds such as Invesco’s so-called QQQ that tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index." However, there is no indication of anything done to restrict scam tokens.

"As Uniswap’s protocol is permissionless and both good and bad actors can list tokens through it, you will often see a warning for users to take the initiative in avoiding scammers."

"Rather than searching for tokens or pairs on Uniswap, you can verify you are selecting genuine ones by going via a trusted source, such as the CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko crypto tracking websites. On CoinMarketCap, for example, you can search for the token, select it, then navigate to the trading pairs towards the bottom of the page. If you then click on the relevant pair next to Uniswap, it will take you to the genuine Uniswap page and help you to avoid fake tokens. It also has an option at the top for MetaMask." "Explorers like Etherscan can also be used to check the vital analytics needed to make a more informed decision."

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

The background of the exchange platform, service, or individuals involved, as it would have been seen or understood at the time of the events.

Include:

  • Known history of when and how the service was started.
  • What problems does the company or service claim to solve?
  • What marketing materials were used by the firm or business?
  • Audits performed, and excerpts that may have been included.
  • Business registration documents shown (fake or legitimate).
  • How were people recruited to participate?
  • Public warnings and announcements prior to the event.

Don't Include:

  • Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
  • Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.

There could be more than one section here. If the same platform is involved with multiple incidents, then it can be linked to a main article page.

The Reality

This sections is included if a case involved deception or information that was unknown at the time. Examples include:

  • When the service was actually started (if different than the "official story").
  • Who actually ran a service and their own personal history.
  • How the service was structured behind the scenes. (For example, there was no "trading bot".)
  • Details of what audits reported and how vulnerabilities were missed during auditing.

What Happened

The specific events of the loss and how it came about. What actually happened to cause the loss and some of the events leading up to it.

Key Event Timeline - Uniswap Fake Teller Token
Date Event Description
August 18th, 2020 Main Event Expand this into a brief description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.

Technical Details

This section includes specific detailed technical analysis of any security breaches which happened. What specific software vulnerabilities contributed to the problem and how were they exploited?

Total Amount Lost

The total amount lost is unknown.

How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?

Immediate Reactions

How did the various parties involved (firm, platform, management, and/or affected individual(s)) deal with the events? Were services shut down? Were announcements made? Were groups formed?

Ultimate Outcome

What was the end result? Was any investigation done? Were any individuals prosecuted? Was there a lawsuit? Was any tracing done?

Total Amount Recovered

There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.

What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?

Ongoing Developments

What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?

General Prevention Policies

There are no reported cases of centralized platforms listing fake tokens. Such an event would likely be short-lived. Platform operators have an inherent interest in protecting their users against fraud, and the insurance fund is available for platforms to use.

Individual Prevention Policies

No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.

References