Seth Green's Stolen Bored Ape NFT Returned After $260,000 Ransom

Seth Green's Bored Ape NFT #8398, which was stolen in a phishing attack, has been returned to him after paying a $260,000 ransom. The transfer was confirmed through blockchain transaction logs, which showed the NFT moving from the wallet of the anonymous collector known as Mr. Cheese to a wallet linked with Green.

Green confirmed the return of the NFT, dubbed Fred Simian, on Twitter. He had earlier named the ape and managed a Twitter account for the character. The transaction involved Green sending 165 Ether, approximately $297,000, to an address held by NFT Trader, from where it was transferred to Mr. Cheese's wallet.

The NFT was initially stolen in a phishing attack, which Green publicly disclosed on Twitter. The theft disrupted Green's plans for an animated series, White House Tavern, which featured characters from his NFT collection. The incident highlights the growing issue of crypto scams, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting billions of dollars in losses due to such frauds.