A Prominent Crypto Executive Has Issued a Stark Warning to the Digital Asset Community After Falling Victim to a Sophisticated Scam

Emblem Vault CEO Jake Gallen shared his experience of dealing with a dangerous cyberattack through his X account during a Zoom meeting with default security settings abuse.

A prominent crypto executive has issued a stark warning to the digital asset community after falling victim to a sophisticated scam known as “Elusive Comet,” resulting in a staggering loss of over $100,000 in cryptocurrency.

The incident, which has left the executive deeply affected, highlights the urgent need for heightened awareness and robust security measures in the crypto sphere. The executive, Emblem Vault CEO Jake Gallen, took to his X account to share his harrowing experience of dealing with a dangerous cyberattack during a Zoom meeting with default security settings.

The Zoom video interview provided hackers with the opportunity to attack an unprepared cryptocurrency user through advanced malware methods which cost the victim $100,000. The Gallen incident reveals essential knowledge which crypto experts together with enthusiasts need to understand.

The Elusive Comet Attack in a Deceptive Zoom Interview

Gallen appeared with @tacticalinvest_ for a YouTube video interview on April 8, 2025, although the personality maintained more than 90,000 subscribers at that time. Gallen first appeared genuine in his request because he confirmed the interview followed back, and the interviewer kept their social media active with matching links.

The interview started to become problematic because some unusual indicators emerged. The interviewer operated his camera in an off position while using external recording equipment that stands as an unusual technique in crypto communities. Unbeknownst to Gallen, the interviewer exploited Zoom’s default “remote access” feature to install malware named “goopdate” on his computer.

The attacker achieved complete system control with the malware to steal all Ethereum and Bitcoin wallet contents from Gallen. Through the X and Gmail platform security breach the hacker accessed both networks to send deceptive messages to his contact network.

The sophisticated skills of the attacker became evident when Gallen discovered unauthorized sales of his NFTs on OpenSea on April 9. The hacker maintained control over the cryptocurrency assets after Gallen tried to revoke the approval process and stole funds worth more than $100,000.

Fake Tokens and Active Interference Expose Scammers’ Tactics

The scammers developed a method to stop Gallen from retrieving his wallet funds through this technique. Scammers sent fraudulent ERC20 tokens into the compromised wallet at 2:40 PM PST on April 9 after Gallen had accessed the wallet thirty minutes before.

The scammers carried out this operation to disrupt his transactions because they aimed to generate wallet confusion or freeze the account to hide their asset theft. The scammer’s actions to manipulate wallet activity remain unclear to him because it shows how they actively blocked asset transfers through his X post.

These active actions show the Elusive Comet scam operators had effective organization. Security Alliance (SEAL) tracked the malware signature through its path until it revealed its membership in an extensive crypto-targeting operation.Strong anger from crypto users targeted Zoom because of its recent incident which now requires default setting adjustments according to these users. Cybercriminals continue to target remote work tools such as Zoom through constant attacks since 2020 according to the 2020 Acronis report because they sell remote code execution exploits on dark web marketplaces for prices up to $500,000.