🚨 SCAM ALERT: The MegaETH “Shadow-Launch” Bridge Exploit

 Threat Level: Critical 🔴 | Status: Active

The Situation

As MegaETH approaches its official mainnet launch on February 9, 2026, sophisticated threat actors have deployed a fleet of “Shadow Bridge” websites. These sites capitalize on the project’s recent success (10.7B test transactions) to trick users into “early bridging” or “mainnet registration.”

The Mechanics of the Theft

Unlike simple “send-and-lose” scams, this campaign uses a Permit2 Signature Exploit.

1. The Hook: Scammers use compromised “Gold Check” (verified organization) accounts on X to announce a “Surprise Early-Access Bridge.”
2. The Look: The phishing sites (e.g., mega-early[.]com, megaethlabs[.]top) are pixel-perfect clones of the official documentation.
3. The Trap: When you “Connect Wallet,” the site doesn’t ask for your seed phrase. Instead, it asks you to sign a Permit2 message.
4. The Drain: This signature gives the attacker a “blank check” to move specific tokens (like ETH, USDC, or the oversubscribed $MEGA) out of your wallet at a later time, often bypassing standard hardware wallet confirmations.

Loss Report: In the last 16 hours, on-chain analysts have tracked over $1.2M in assets flowing into known drainer addresses associated with this specific campaign.

🎓 ShieldGuard Learn: How to Protect Yourself

1. Verify the “Source of Truth”

• Official URL: The ONLY official website is megaeth.com.
• The Launch Date: The official mainnet launch is February 9, 2026. Any site claiming a “live bridge” or “mainnet access” before this date is a 100% certainty scam.

2. Understand “Permit2” Signatures

Scammers love Permit2 because users often see it as a “gasless signature” and don’t realize they are granting broad permissions.

• Rule of Thumb: Never sign a message that contains allowance, permit, or owner on a site you haven’t used for at least 30 days.
• Visual Check: If your wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, etc.) displays a warning like “This signature may allow the contract to move your funds,” Cancel immediately.

3. Check for “Vanity URL” Typos

Scammers are currently using high-end “Typosquatting.” Look for:

• mega-eth[.]com (Incorrect hyphen)
• megaeth.net or megaeth.io (Incorrect extension)
• megaeth-mainnet[.]com (Official projects rarely use sub-folders for main launches).

🛠️ Immediate Action Plan (If you clicked)

If you have interacted with any MegaETH-related link in the last 16 hours:

1. Revoke Approvals: Go to Revoke.cash or the Rabby Wallet approval manager. Look for any active allowances to unknown contracts on Ethereum or Base.
2. Move Funds: If you signed a “Permit” but haven’t been drained yet, your wallet is “poisoned.” Move your high-value assets to a fresh hardware wallet address immediately.
3. Report the Source: Report the X account or website to the PhishFort or Chainalysis reporting portals to help protect the community.