Renowned NFT artist DeeKay recently experienced a life-altering cyberattack while on a 14-hour flight from Korea to New York. Without internet access during the journey, DeeKay was unaware that his crypto wallets had been compromised, resulting in the theft of his life savings and earnings from his Web3 ventures. This has left him in a difficult financial situation, with his family relying on him for support.

How the Attack Unfolded

In a detailed social media post, DeeKay explained that he had stored the seed phrase for his crypto wallets in a photo of a handwritten note. This photo was synced to his Google Drive for safekeeping. Despite hiding the file in an obscure folder and seeing no suspicious login activity, his funds were still stolen. DeeKay speculated that the breach could have occurred either through a physical leak of his seed phrase or through a public WiFi connection he used previously. He emphasized that he had not interacted with any suspicious individuals or downloaded any suspicious files.

Interestingly, while all his crypto funds were stolen, DeeKay noted that his NFTs were left intact. He has since moved the remaining NFTs to a secure wallet in hopes of protecting these assets. Though this provided a small sense of relief, the financial damage has already been done, leaving DeeKay devastated.

An Emotional Toll

“This is probably the biggest challenge of my life,” DeeKay shared, expressing the emotional strain of losing his hard-earned savings. Exhausted from the ordeal, he stated that he needed time to recover before determining his next steps.

DeeKay’s story comes on the heels of another major crypto theft. Just last week, a phishing attack targeted a crypto whale, resulting in the loss of over $32 million in wrapped ether tokens. These attacks highlight the vulnerabilities within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, underscoring the need for stronger security measures.

Staying Safe in the Digital World

As Web3 continues to grow, cybersecurity threats like these are becoming increasingly common. Experts recommend using cold wallets—devices not connected to the internet—to store sensitive information like seed phrases. Additionally, being cautious about where and how you store such critical data is essential to avoiding potential attacks.

DeeKay’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the risks in the crypto world and the importance of taking extra precautions to safeguard digital assets.