Altcoins
|4 min ReadPepe Official Site Hijacked And Wired To Wallet Drainer
Jax Morales
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
The official Pepe memecoin website has been compromised and is currently redirecting users to a fake interface that tries to drain their wallets, according to security firm Blockaid.
Blockaid says its systems detected Inferno Drainer code on the Pepe front end that matches a known drainer family. The attack does not target the Pepe token contract itself. Instead, it hits the website layer. When users click through, they are silently pushed to a look-alike site that injects malicious JavaScript and waits for them to sign a dangerous transaction.
The core message from Blockaid is simple. Until the Pepe team cleans and secures the front end, connecting a wallet through links on the official site is not safe.
Inferno Drainer Is Still Scaling, Not Disappearing
Inferno Drainer is a full scam toolkit. It ships ready-made phishing templates, wallet drainer scripts and social engineering components that let low skill attackers run professional-looking campaigns.
Despite a public claim in 2023 that the service would shut down, Blockaid data shows Inferno Drainer activity tripled through 2024. At the start of that year, the firm saw roughly 800 new malicious Inferno-linked dApps per week. By August, that figure was closer to 2,400.
Since then, the same drainer family has been tied to a series of social media exploits and malware-driven thefts. One example was the hack of the official BNB Chain X account in October, where attackers posted Inferno links and urged users to connect wallets before Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao publicly warned people to stay away.
In each case, the pattern is similar. Take over a trusted channel, drop a “too normal to question” link, and let the drainer script strip any wallet that signs the wrong message.
Price Reaction Is Small. The Risk Is Not.
PEPE’s price barely flinched after the website hijack. The token is up around 4 percent on the day, although it remains more than 70 percent below its level a year ago. That muted response suggests many holders think of the website as separate from the token.
In practice, most real damage from front end exploits lands on users who still rely on official sites to find dApp links, staking portals or “safe” dashboards. Once the front end is compromised, every button can be weaponized.
For now, the safest move is to avoid the Pepe website entirely until the team confirms the malicious code is gone and security partners have verified the fix.
How Pepe Holders Should Protect Themselves
Pepe’s incident is another reminder that Web3 risk often starts at the browser, not the contract. A few practical habits matter more than any narrative.
Type known dApp URLs yourself or use old bookmarks you created before the incident instead of following fresh links from social posts or banners. Check that your wallet only shows simple transfers or contract calls you actually expect before you sign. If a site suddenly asks for wide approvals or full wallet access, stop and close the tab.
Drainer kits like Inferno are built to harvest reflex clicks. Slowing down for a few seconds and rejecting anything unclear is still the cheapest and most effective defense most traders have.
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.