Pi Network Halts Payment Requests After Scam Drains 4.4 Million Pi Coins
Members of the Pi Network neighborhood are elevating alarms over a rising rip-off methodology that has already resulted in thousands and thousands of Pi tokens being drained from person wallets.
The scheme exploits the community’s fee request function and the inherent transparency of blockchain knowledge. It prompts the Pi Core Team to quickly disable fee requests as losses mount.
Pioneers Warn of Scam Method Leading to Pi Being Drained from Wallets
According to a number of neighborhood alerts circulated on X (previously Twitter), scammers can scan the Pi blockchain to determine pockets addresses and look at their Pi balances.
Once a pockets with a large steadiness is recognized, the attacker sends a fee request on to the holder. If the recipient clicks “approve,” the Pi is transferred immediately to the scammer’s wallet and can’t be recovered.
Community account Pi OpenMainnet 2025 warned that the mechanism is usually misunderstood as a technical flaw.
“Previously, individuals known as this a ‘system vulnerability,’ however truthfully, it’s not a vulnerability in any respect,” the put up stated. “This is strictly how the pockets is designed to work. The solely approach you’ll lose your Pi cash is for those who personally approve the transaction.”
The similar message emphasised that the risk lies in social engineering slightly than protocol failure. Scammers might disguise requests to seem authentic or impersonate trusted contacts, growing the probability that customers approve transfers with out verifying them.
A Scam at Scale
Blockchain monitoring shared by the neighborhood factors to a single pockets deal with as a serious hub for the exercise.
The deal with—GCD3SZ3TFJAESWFZFROZZHNRM5KWFO25TVNR6EMLWNYL47V5A72HBWXP—has been accused of stealing between 700,000 and 800,000 Pi per thirty days. According to studies, cumulative losses now exceed 4.4 million Pi.
Data shared by Pi Network Update exhibits constant month-to-month inflows to the deal with:
- Roughly 877,900 Pi in July 2025
- 743,000 Pi in August
- 757,000 Pi in September
- 563,000 Pi in October
- 622,700 Pi in November, and
- Over 838,000 Pi in December.
The figures recommend a coordinated and sustained operation slightly than remoted incidents, with December’s spike indicating accelerating exercise.
The scale of the theft has heightened concern amongst Pioneers, lots of whom are new to on-chain transactions. As such, they could be unfamiliar with the dangers of approving unsolicited requests.
Pi Team Disables Payment Requests
In response, the Pi Team has quickly suspended the “ship fee request” function. Community notices point out the transfer was taken after rip-off exercise intensified.
“Currently, the Pi workforce has suspended these kind of requests (presumably as a result of the scams have gotten uncontrolled),” said Pi Network Alerts in a put up.
However, the suspension is described as a stopgap measure slightly than a everlasting repair. The function could also be re-enabled as soon as extra safeguards or person protections are assessed.
Until then, neighborhood steering is unequivocal. The community advises customers to not settle for or approve any fee requests despatched to their wallets, no matter who seems to be the sender.
Warnings stress that scammers might pose as buddies, relations, and even official Pi accounts.
The incident highlights a broader problem for blockchain networks: hanging a steadiness between transparency and value, whereas sustaining person safety.
While the Pi protocol features as supposed, the episode highlights how simply social engineering can exploit commonplace options to create assault vectors.
As fee requests stay disabled at yr’s finish, Pi Network’s PI Coin was buying and selling for $0.20381, up by virtually 1% within the final 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Pi neighborhood members proceed to trace suspicious wallets and amplify safety warnings. They urge vigilance as scams turn out to be extra refined and widespread.
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