Gutter Cat Gang Clone Phishing Attack Seth Green

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Gutter Cat Gang NFT website.

Well known actor and comedian Seth Green was spoofed by a clone site for the GutterCats website. Four NFTs were stolen worth an estimated $669k USD. None of the NFTs appear to have been recovered.

About Seth Green

Seth Green is an American actor[1] known for his roles in comedy films and television shows. He began his career in the 1980s with supporting roles in films like "Can't Buy Me Love" and "My Stepmother Is an Alien." In the 1990s and 2000s, he starred in comedy films such as "Can't Hardly Wait," "Rat Race," and the Austin Powers series. Green also gained recognition for his roles in television shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and as the voice of Chris Griffin in "Family Guy." He is the co-creator, writer, director, and voice actor of the Emmy-winning animated series "Robot Chicken." Green has also appeared in music videos and video games, and he wrote and directed the film "Changeland" in 2019. He is married to actress Clare Grant[2].

About Gutter Cat Gang

Gutter Cat Gang describes themselves as a "[n]ext-gen lifestyle brand inspired by fashion, sports and gaming"[3] and "a collection of 3,000 randomly generated NFTs on the Ethereum"[4]. They have been working through continual brand deals since their launch in May 2021[5][6][7].

GUTTER is a next-gen lifestyle brand inspired by fashion, sports and gaming. We build dope products, platforms and experiences at the intersection of web3 and culture.

Our vision is to create the leading web3 lifestyle brand and hub for collectors and creators in the metaverse, while developing globally-recognized IP through exclusive activations, collaborations and storytelling.

We are a community that gives voice to the misfits and underdogs who share a common goal to connect, create and shape web3 culture together. Join us. Gang Gang.

The year is 2050. Humans are an interplanetary species and have all but abandoned the post-apocalyptic shatters of society on earth. Cats have taken over. One crime-ridden, nondescript inner city is inhabited by a group of cats collectively known as the Gutter Cats.

3,000 unique #NFTs where each Gutter Cat includes initiation into the Gang (w/ gang-only benefits).

The Reality

Many scammers and phishers are under a constant attempt to impersonate popular websites and services in the NFT space, hoping that they can trick unsuspecting users into granting approvals or providing their private key.

Seth Green describes that he got caught by a clone website[8][9].

"Scam GutterCats clone site. I’m crazy careful with separate wallets and security but still got got. Luckily it’s art not crypto so they can be traced. For anyone that bought them, we can work something out."

Thought I was minting GutterCat clones- phishing link looked clean.

What Happened

Well known actor and comedian Seth Green was spoofed by a clone site for the GutterCats website[8][9].

Key Event Timeline - Gutter Cat Gang Clone Phishing Attack Seth Green
Date Event Description
December 9th, 2021 Seth Green Buys Ape Seth Green purchases the Bored Ape #8398 from American DJ And music producer Steve Aoki[10].
March 17th, 2022 6:09:00 PM Gutter Cat Year 2050 The very first "year is 2050" tweet by the Gutter Cat Gang was made to announce the collection[7].
May 7th, 2022 11:20:00 PM OpenSea Transaction The ape is originally transferred to an account named "C8A090" on OpenSea[11][1].
May 8th, 2022 1:44:00 AM OpenSea Sale The ape is sold to OpenSea user DarkWing84[12].
May 8th, 2022 1:45:00 AM OpenSea Transfer The ape is transferred from DarkWing84 to an account "GBE_Vault"[13].
May 17th, 2022 9:40:00 AM MDT Seth Green Announces Theft Seth Green posts on Twitter announcing that the phishing attack occurred. He's hoping to arrange a fix with @DarkWing84[14].
May 17th, 2022 10:31:17 AM MDT Seth Green Explains Delay Seth Green explains the reason for the delay between the theft and his report, admitting that it took him a few days to notice the theft and he "waited to take other steps before going public"[15][16].
May 17th, 2022 10:53:00 AM MDT Adam Hollander Response Twitter response from Adam Hollander[17].
May 18th, 2022 3:50:00 AM MDT Ledger Response Ledger the hardware wallet manufacturer responds to Seth Green's tweet recommending him to keep his keys safe[18].
May 24th, 2022 9:27:13 AM MDT Buzzfeed News Article Buzzfeed published an article on the situation. According to the article, the show titled "White Horse Tavern," was based on characters from Seth Green's NFT collection. However, one of the stolen NFTs was a Bored Ape named Fred Simian, the protagonist of the show, which meant Green lost the commercial rights to the character. The NFT was sold to a collector known as "DarkWing84," who now possesses the commercial usage rights. Green has been pleading with DarkWing84 on Twitter to return the NFT, as the current owner could potentially cause trouble for Green with the commercial rights. The NFT marketplace OpenSea has frozen the stolen tokens, but the situation highlights the legal complexities surrounding NFT copyright and ownership. Green is actively working with authorities to retrieve his stolen NFTs[19].
May 24th, 2022 11:26:00 AM MDT Claim of Lost Commercial Rights More Butter tweets in reference to a Buzzfeed article claiming that "Green no longer owns the commercial rights to the NFT and thus the show cannot move forward."[20]
May 24th, 2022 1:48:00 PM MDT Seth Green Underlying IP Seth Green clarifies that the thief is "not legally entitled to exploitation usage of the underlying IP" and continues to hope that darkwing84 will discuss with him[21].
May 24th, 2022 2:03:00 PM MDT Seth Green Flexes History Seth Green highlights his 18 years of history in copyright and industry laws, and his eagerness to meet DarkWing84 to make a deal. "Looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation, having spent 18 years studying copyright & the industry laws. I’d [r]ather meet @DarkWing84 to make a deal, vs in court. We can prove the promise of ape community[.]"[22]
May 24th, 2022 3:01:28 PM MDT UpRoxx Article Published UpRoxx publishes an article on the theft. Seth Green had been developing a TV show based on the ape, but now faces uncertainty as he no longer owns the intellectual property. The stolen NFT has been sold by the hackers, and Green is attempting to recover it through legal action and collaboration with the FBI. Social media users have been criticizing Green for the situation, suggesting that using real actors instead of NFTs would have avoided such issues[23].
May 25th, 2022 9:13:00 AM MDT DarkWing84 Attempts To Reach Seth Twitter user GeekApe.eth reports that DarkWing84 has been trying to reach out to Seth Green on the Bored Ape Yacht Club Discord channel[24].
May 25th, 2022 9:42:00 AM MDT Seth Green Confirms Connected Seth Green reports that he has successfully connected with the OpenSea user DarkWing84[25].
May 26th, 2022 12:43:00 AM MDT HoityToity Song Written WeAreHoityToity publishes a song about the stolen NFT[26].
June 7th, 2022 6:26:00 AM OpenSea Transfer The ape is transferred from "GBE_Vault" back to DarkWing84[27].
June 7th, 2022 7:08:00 AM OpenSea Transfer The ape is transferred from DarkWing84 to "13D8FA"[28].
June 7th, 2022 7:44:00 AM OpenSea Transfer The ape is transferred from "13D8FA" to "3FAD60" to "13D8FA" and then to "Fred_Simian"[29][30].

Total Amount Lost

Seth Green reported that an attacker was able to steal 4 NFTs from him, which included Bored Ape Club #8398, Mutant Ape #9964, Mutant Ape #19182, and Doodle #7546[31][14].

  • Bored Ape #8398 was resold by the attacker for 106.500 ETH on May 8th[32][12], worth $415,632.22 USD at the market price of $3,902.65 USD[33].
  • Mutant Ape #9964 had a price of 40 ETH on May 1st, 2021 when it was sold to Seth Green[34][35]. Using a market price on May 1st of $2,945.89 USD, this gives a value of $117,835.60 USD[33].
  • Mutant Ape #19182 had a price of 22 ETH on Mar 22nd, 2022 when it was sold to Seth Green[36][37]. Using a market price on Mar 22nd of $2,973.13 USD, this gives a value of $65,408.86 USD[33].
  • Doodle #7546 was resold by the attacker for 17.900 ETH on May 8th[38][39], worth $69,857.44 USD at the market price of $3,902.65 USD[33].

Totaling these together estimates the value lost at $668,734.115 USD. The total amount lost has been estimated at $669,000 USD.

Immediate Reactions

Seth Green did not notice the NFT was missing for a few days[15], and did not report the theft for 10 days[11][14]. There is limited information available about what happened in the immediate aftermath of the theft[15].

Looks that way. Took a few days to notice and waited to take other steps before going public.

Ultimate Outcome

Seth Green has subsequently struggled to attempt to recover the NFTs, and it does not appear that he was successful.


After taking a few days to notice and an additional week to "take other steps before going public"[15], Seth Green shared news of the theft on his Twitter[31][1]

Well frens it happened to me. Got phished and had 4NFT stolen. @BoredApeYC @opensea @doodles @yugalabs please don’t buy or trade these while I work to resolve: @DarkWing84 looks like you bought my stolen ape- hit me up so we can fix it.

Adam Hollander, cofounder of White Sands Game and Hungry Wolves NFT, attempted to assist[17]:

Sorry that happened to you. Best wishes trying to recover them. Can you also share how this happened? Would help others avoid it. Also remember that the people who bought them unknowingly didn't do anything wrong. Hopefully you can resolve without them taking a loss.

User Eugene Capon decided to send some funds to Seth Green to help make up for the loss[40] while others recommended that DarkWing84 should sell the NFT to Seth Green for the price that he paid for it[41][42].

Looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation, having spent 18 years studying copyright & the industry laws. I’d [r]ather meet @DarkWing84 to make a deal, vs in court. We can prove the promise of ape community[.]


Multiple users decided to poke fun at Seth Green for either participating in NFTs[43][44][45][46][47] or for taking a photo of his monitor instead of using screenshots or copying images[48][49][50].

Despite the fact that Seth Green was reportedly using a hardware wallet[51], many users - including Ledger themselves[18] took it upon themselves to educate him that he should have been using a hardware wallet[52][53][54], however others pointed out that that wouldn't have helped[55].

We're sorry to hear this happened - hopefully the NFTs find their way home.

Remember – it’s important to keep your private keys offline and secured in a hardware wallet.

If you're not sure what we mean, our CXO @iancr digs into the details a bit.

Musical artist @WeAreHoityToity made a musical about the incident[26].

hi Seth I wrote a song for you and your lost monkey jpeg.

Attempts To Reach Out To DarkWing84

Seth Green's Bored Ape NFT was sold to someone named @DarkWing84. Seth Green attempted to reach out to him[31][56].

"Only the ape sold and I’m trying to reach the buyer- we both got scammed."

Looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation, having spent 18 years studying copyright & the industry laws. I’d [r]ather meet @DarkWing84 to make a deal, vs in court. We can prove the promise of ape community[.]

Response From DarkWing84

It was reported that DarkWing84 had been actively trying to reach Seth Green in the Bored Ape Yacht Club Discord channel[24]. It does not appear that he was active on Twitter as that Twitter account is presently showing only 2 tweets[57].

Maybe try to respond to @DarkWing84 and/or the DMs he's sending you? He's been in the BAYC discord trying to get a hold of you without success...

DarkWing84 was ultimately able to connect with Seth Green[25]. The ape had already been long since transfered[30][32]. It is unclear if any sort of settlement was reached.

Total Amount Recovered

Some users expressed optimism about recovery[58][59][60][61] while others believed that it wouldn't happen[62][63] and some were mixed[64].

From OpenSea, it does not appear that any of the NFTs are back in the possession of Seth Green[32][34][36][38]. Seth Green has not provided any updates to at least one user who was asking if he recovered the NFTs[65]. Three of the NFTs have been flagged with a suspicious activity indication which prevents their resale[34][36][38][1], however all NFTs are presently still owned by other users.

Ongoing Developments

Seth Green may have originally planned to star his NFT in a show, and the NFT owner reportedly holds the copyright on the content. However, the NFT is presently owned by another anonymous owner, so it is unclear what the outcome will be on the show[23][66].

Individual Prevention Policies

Users have to be careful whenever signing any transactions to ensure that the transaction does what is expected and that any approved smart contracts are for known trusted addresses. Risks can be greatly reduced by keeping the majority of funds and NFTs in a fully offline wallet which is never used to interact with the blockchain.

Any time untrusted software is being run is an opportunity for abuse. It is recommended to always interact with cryptocurrency in a fully controlled environment, which is an environment where you have understanding of every piece of software running there. Using a hardware wallet, spare computer with all software wiped, and/or virtual machine with only the needed software greatly reduces your attack surface. Take the time to verify downloaded files come from the correct and expected source and match available hashes if provided. Any time you encounter a new file, always check if it can contain executable code prior to using it.

Avoid the use of smart contracts unless necessary. Minimize the level of exposure by removing or withdrawing assets whenever possible. Aim to choose smart contracts which have obtained third party security audits, preferably having been audited by at least three separate reputable firms. Pay attention to the audit reports, which smart contracts are covered, and whether the smart contract has been upgraded or modified since the report. Ensure that any administrative functions with the ability to remove funds from the smart contract are under the authority of a multi-signature wallet which is controlled by at least three separate and reputable entities.

Private keys can be obtained through seed phrases, mnemonics, private key files, mobile synchronization screens, wallet export features, wallet backups, etc... Never ever send these to anyone else who you do not intend to allow to take all of your money. Attackers will use a wide variety of tactics to convince you like pretending to be your wallet software, pretending they work for the wallet software, or asking you to screen share. Don't fall for them.

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

Platform Prevention Policies

This case does not appear to have resulted in a loss to any platform.

Never take for granted the limited knowledge of users of your service and their tendency to skip past provided information. It is recommended to design a simple tutorial and quiz for new users which explains the basics of seed phrases, strong password generation, secure two-factor authentication, common fraud schemes, how ponzi schemes work, as well as other risks which are unique to the cryptocurrency space. This tutorial and quiz should ensure their understanding and be a standard part of the sign-up or download process which is difficult or impossible to skip.

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

Regulatory Prevention Policies

Create a standard tutorial and quiz for all new cryptocurrency participants, which is required to be completed once per participant. This tutorial and quiz should cover the basics of proper seed phrase protection, strong password generation, secure two-factor authentication, common fraud schemes, how to detect and guard against phishing attacks, how ponzi schemes work, as well as other risks which are unique to the cryptocurrency space.

Set up a multi-signature wallet with private keys held separately by delegate signatories from seven prominent platforms and services within the industry. Establish requirements for contributions by all platforms and services within the country, designed to be affordable for small platforms yet large enough to cover anticipated breach events. Any breach event can be brought forth by a member platform or a petition of 100 signatures for consideration by the delegate signatories. A vote of 4 or more delegate signatures is required to release any funds, which could partially or fully restore lost funds based on their assessment.

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

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Seth Green's Apes Gone, Begs Internet Not to Buy Them (Feb 4)
  2. ↑ Seth Green - Wikipedia (Feb 5)
  3. ↑ Gutter Cat Gang Website (Feb 5)
  4. ↑ Gutter Cat Gang Collection on OpenSea (Feb 5)
  5. ↑ Gutter Cat Gang Website About Section (Feb 5)
  6. ↑ Gutter Cat Gang Announces Coming Soon On Twitter (Feb 5)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gutter Cat Gang "The Year Is 2050" Promotion - Twitter (Feb 5)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Seth Green Explains What Happened - Twitter (Feb 5)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Seth Green Explains What Happened - Twitter (Feb 5)
  10. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - Sale From Steve Aoki To Seth Green (Feb 5)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ethereum Transaction Hash - Seth Green To "C8A090" (Feb 5)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ethereum Transaction Hash "C8A090" To DarkWing84 (Feb 5)
  13. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - DarkWing84 To GBE_Vault (Feb 5)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Seth Green - "Well frens it happened to me. Got phished and had 4NFT stolen. @BoredApeYC @opensea @doodles @yugalabs please don’t buy or trade these while I work to resolve: @DarkWing84 looks like you bought my stolen ape- hit me up so we can fix it" - Twitter (Feb 10, 2023)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Seth Green - "Looks that way. Took a few days to notice and waited to take other steps before going public." - Twitter (Feb 5)
  16. ↑ Seth Green - "Looks that way. Took a few days to notice and waited to take other steps before going public." - Twitter Archive May 17th, 2022 10:31:17 AM MDT (Jun 30, 2023)
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Adam Hollander's Response on Twitter (Feb 4)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ledger Recommends Seth Green To Use a Hardware Wallet (Feb 4)
  19. ↑ Someone Stole Seth Green's Bored Ape, Which Was Supposed To Star In His New Show - Buzzfeed News (Jun 13, 2023)
  20. ↑ More Butter - "Seth Green’s Bored Ape NFT, which was set to star in its own animated show, was stolen through a phishing scam." - Twitter (Jun 13, 2023)
  21. ↑ Seth Green - "Not true since the art was stolen. A buyer who purchased stolen art with real money and refuses to return it is not legally entitled to exploitation usage of the underlying IP. It’ll go to court, but I’d prefer to meet @DarkWing84 before that. Seems we’d have lots in common." - Twitter (Jun 12, 2023)
  22. ↑ Seth Green - "Looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation, having spent 18 years studying copyright & the industry laws. I’d [r]ather meet @DarkWing84 to make a deal, vs in court. We can prove the promise of ape community[.]" - Twitter (Jun 30, 2023)
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Seth Green's Stolen Bored Ape NFT Can't Make His TV Show Now - Uproxx (Feb 5)
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 DeekApe.eth - "Maybe try to respond to @DarkWing84 and/or the DMs he's sending you? He's been in the BAYC discord trying to get a hold of you without success..." - Twitter (Jun 30, 2023)
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Seth Green - "We have connected- thank you for the help" - Twitter (Jun 30, 2023)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 WeAreHoityToity Makes Music Video - Twitter (Feb 4)
  27. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - GBE_Vault Back To DarkWing84 (Feb 5)
  28. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash DarkWing84 To "13D8FA" (Feb 5)
  29. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - "13D8FA" To "3FAD60" (Feb 5)
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Ethereum Transaction Hash - "13D8FA" To Fred_Simian (Feb 5)
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Seth Green - "Looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation, having spent 18 years studying copyright & the industry laws. I’d ather meet @DarkWing84 to make a deal, vs in court. We can prove the promise of ape community" - Twitter (Feb 4)
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Bored Ape #8398 History - OpenSea (Feb 5)
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Ethereum Historical Price - CoinMarketCap (Dec 20)
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Mutant Ape #9964 History - OpenSea (Feb 5)
  35. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - Mutant Ape #9964 Sold To Seth Green (Feb 5)
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Mutant Ape #19182 History - OpenSea (Feb 5)
  37. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - Mutant Ape #19182 Sold To Seth Green (Feb 5)
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Doodle #7546 History - OpenSea (Feb 5)
  39. ↑ Ethereum Transaction Hash - Doodle #7546 Sold By Attacker (Feb 5)
  40. ↑ Eugene Capon Sends Relief - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  41. ↑ Crew__Darey recommends transfer - Twitter (Feb 5, 2023)
  42. ↑ PSYspira - "buy it back from them at what they paid" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  43. ↑ PeteBogg - "absolutely nothing of value was lost" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  44. ↑ hrtlndbitcoin "They were going to go to $0 eventually anyway" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  45. ↑ juliamarblefaun - "Admitting you bought these…" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  46. ↑ James Cromarty - "difficult to share empathy when you’ve knowingly engaged (in whatever capacity) with NFTs" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  47. ↑ mailmanbabygame - "this is very funny and was completely predictable" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  48. ↑ mutatrum Teaches Seth Green - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  49. ↑ ross_stalker He Didn't Manage To Screenshot Them - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  50. ↑ polygoncollect - "WTF he really take a photo of his screen to post it on twitter instead of use the computer directly" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  51. ↑ Seth Green Was Using a Hardware Wallet - Twitter (Feb 5)
  52. ↑ GUTTERxANT Tells Seth Green To Use Hardware Wallet - Twitter (Feb 5)
  53. ↑ StrayAliens recommends Seth Green Use Hardware Wallet - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  54. ↑ shad_0 Says Use Hardware Wallet - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  55. ↑ cyruskind Points out that Hardware Wallet Won't Help - Twitter (Feb 5)
  56. ↑ Seth Green Attempting Resolution - Twitter (Feb 10, 2023)
  57. ↑ DarkWing84 Account On Twitter (Feb 5)
  58. ↑ @mattmpls33 Twitter (Feb 5)
  59. ↑ @EffingPilot Twitter (Feb 5)
  60. ↑ @CreadisNetwork Twitter (Feb 5)
  61. ↑ slowcobra97 - "This guy will get his [NFTs] back for free because he is famous" - Twitter (Feb 14, 2023)
  62. ↑ @BlockInvest99 Twitter (Feb 5)
  63. ↑ @do_i_feellucky Twitter (Feb 5)
  64. ↑ @Crew__Darey Twitter (Feb 5)
  65. ↑ OdrarEth Asks About Recovery Status - Twitter (Feb 5)
  66. ↑ Someone Stole Seth Green's Bored Ape NFT - TheStreet (Feb 5)
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