Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX issued an official security warning after phishing campaigns targeted creditors expecting payments in the third distribution round. Scammers are impersonating Kroll Restructuring Administration and the FTX Recovery Trust through fraudulent emails directing victims to spoofed websites mimicking the official FTX Customer Portal.
The third payout round commenced on September 30, distributing approximately $1.6 billion to U.S. customers, international customers, and general unsecured creditors. The fraudulent emails promise inflated recovery ratios of 118–142% of petition-date claim values and instruct recipients to verify their identity through a fictitious partner called Digital Disbursements. FTX emphasised that legitimate communications will never request users to connect external wallets. Blockchain security firm ScamSniffer estimated that over $12 million in crypto was stolen through phishing schemes in August alone. Across the two earlier distribution rounds — $1.2 billion in February and $5 billion in May — approximately 162,000 creditors received payouts via BitGo and Kraken, with claims under $50,000 repaid at 120% of their original value.
The total estimated recovered assets stand at $16.5 billion, of which over $7.8 billion has been distributed to date. Repayments are expected to continue through 2026, meaning the risk of phishing attacks will persist, particularly around future distribution dates.
Sources:
- https://coindoo.com/phishing-scams-target-ftx-creditors-amid-ongoing-repayments/
- https://bitcoinist.com/ftx-warning-fraudulent-emails-1-6b-creditor-payout/
- https://markets.financialcontent.com/wral/article/breakingcrypto-2025-10-5-ftx-creditor-phishing-scams-intensify-amidst-ongoing-repayment-efforts-a-call-for-extreme-vigilance
- https://crypto.news/ftx-creditors-scammers-bankruptcy-payout-recipients/
