Stolen Jay Chou BAYC NFT Fetches Over $500K; Pop Star Says Scammers Used Phishing Website

A prized "Bored Ape Yacht Club" Non-Fungible Token, owned by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou, was stolen through a phishing website, fetching the malicious actor $500,000 in its sale.

Chou is the latest victim of a cybercrime incident associated with the rising popularity of the NFTs. The pop star said he was not aware of the NFT theft and learned about it from his friend.

Initially, he thought that it was a joke since it happened on April Fools' Day but he later confirmed that the NFT was "really gone." Chou noted on his Instagram account that the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT was "stolen by a phishing website."

The NFT was given to him as a gift by Machi (Taiwanese hip-hop group) member Jeffrey Hwang Licheng, who also initially thought the Instagram post was just a prank. The stolen BAYC immediately switched hands and was first sold at the NFT marketplace LooksRare where it was sold for 133 ETH.

It was later resold for 155 ETH, which is more than $500,000 based on the price of Ethereum at the time. Blockchain security firm Peckshield confirmed that Chou's BAYC NFT was indeed stolen via phishing.

It also pointed out that the singer-songwriter may have lost not just one but three more NFTs. This includes a Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT and two Doodles. The stolen BAYC 3738 NFT is now for sale for 122 ETH while the MAYC 5698 is priced at 22.8888 ETH.

Chou has not yet said anything about the three other NFTs that were allegedly stolen NFTs. In OpenSea, an NFT marketplace, the account of the Taiwanese singer-songwriter was marked as compromised while Etherscan, the platform where the stolen NFT has been transferred, now bears a warning that users should exercise caution when interacting with the address.

Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT is one of the world's most valuable digital assets. It is a collection of 10,000 unique Bored Ape Non-Fungible Tokens, which, over time, have become a status symbol, particularly for those with deep pockets.

BAYC NFT owners include Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Cury, Mark Cuban, Post Malone and Elon Musk, who is rumored to have purchased BAYC 1837 for 569 ETH, or roughly $1.5 million.