Common NFT Scams: Duplicated or Plagiarized NFTs

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) continue to skyrocket in popularity in 2022 after receiving phenomenal hype in 2021. NFTs are digital assets stored on the blockchain whose units are unique, contrary to cryptocurrency tokens, where units are interchangeable. NFTs store data on blockchain networks, commonly Ethereum, as it currently hosts the most NFT projects among all blockchains. This data may store in any form of data or media, including photographs, videos, music, and even code. People trade NFTs on unique marketplaces such as OpenSea and Rarible and grant owners ownership of the underlying data or media. 

The immutable nature of blockchain has many use cases, but it also causes many issues. You can own an NFT by buying it on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea, Rarible, Coinbase, FTX, etc. Consequently, you may also own an NFT or NFT collection by learning how to mint an NFT. The permissionless nature of NFTs on available blockchain networks makes it unbelievably easy for almost anyone to mint an NFT or create an NFT collection. Similarly, once someone stores an NFT on the blockchain network, it cannot be removed and remains permanently on the network.

There is a dark side to the much-hyped digital art tokens or NFTs, where fake art or plagiarized work dominates the NFT market, worth a whopping $44 billion in 2021. 

This article presents another common NFT scam, fake or plagiarized NFTs. This article will explore what are fake or plagiarized NFTs and how you can report them on OpenSea or Rarible. 

Fake or Plagiarized NFTs:

The lack of regulations and permissions on NFT marketplaces has rendered NFTs an asset class prone to continuous theft and plagiarism. According to a recent tweet by OpenSea, following community backlash for limiting the number of NFTs per “free mint” or “lazy mint” NFT collection, more than 80% of NFTs minted using the free mint option on the NFT marketplace were “plagiarized works, fake collections, and spam." According to The Verge, fake or plagiarized NFTs constitute a significant problem that is only worsening in 2022. 

To enable artists to publish NFTs without paying upfront gas fees, OpenSea first introduced the free NFT minting feature known as "lazy minting" in December 2020. However, on January 27, OpenSea issued a new regulation that restricted free minting to five collections of up to 50 NFTs each to prevent misuse.

_{OpenSea reports that 80% of NFTs minted using the free mint tools are fake or plagiarized. (Source: Twitter)}

Plagiarism and theft are not just on OpenSea alone; all NFT marketplaces experience similar NFT scams. If you are not careful or vigilant about NFT, scammers may easily rip you off by stealing your artwork and minting it as a non-fungible token (NFT) on NFT marketplaces. Following Twitter accounts like @NFTtheft or @notCoSecurity, which target explicitly newly issued NFTs of stolen artwork, can help you stay informed on NFT plagiarism scams. The Twitter account NFTtheft has attracted tens of thousands of followers and brought widespread attention to fake NFT or plagiarized NFT scams. 

Examples: 

Vikings NFT:

_{All NFTs from the Vikings Collection were plagiarized. (Source: Twitter)}

Every NFT on @VikingofficiaI's page was stolen directly from @siberi2's Behance gallery. Ironically, the artist produced these graphics for a separate "NFT-based gambling" project. The problem is that even while we can mint artwork as an NFT, this doesn't stop it from being plagiarized, stolen, and resold. 

 NFT Worlds:

_{Plagiarized NFTworld, which the scammer downloaded for free from Planet Minecraft. (Source: Twitter)}

NFT Worlds is a "metaverse platform" that enables users to post and sell Minecraft-created 3D voxel art as "NFTworlds." People are copying creative material from Minecraft fan networks like Minecraft Planet and selling it on NFTworlds for large amounts of money.

In a recent press release, Minecraft stated that "blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated with our Minecraft client and server applications, nor may they be utilized to create NFTs associated with any in-game content, including worlds, skins, persona items, and other mods."

Plagiarized NFT Watchdog: 

Many informal solutions have emerged to identify and draw attention to the theft issue with NFTs. The @NFTtheft Twitter account, with its thousands of followers, has emerged as one of the industry's most essential watchdogs as it attempts to establish its legitimacy.

_{NFT theft has become NFT twitter's community key watchdog for plagiarism scams.}

A Bay Area creator and artist who goes by the name "bor" established the @NFTtheft Twitter account to act as a watchdog for the industry and to provide NFT creators a platform to speak candidly about their personal experiences with NFT plagiarism.

How to Report Stolen NFTs? 

Marketplaces, where consumers list, trade, and sell NFTs, are aware of the issue of NFT theft and plagiarism. However, the measures they take to lessen it often fall short. Although reporting NFTs of stolen artwork is not always a simple process, as the creators themselves regularly point out, both OpenSea and Rarible, an OpenSea rival, have established procedures for users to report stolen or plagiarized NFTs artwork.

How to Report Stolen NFT(s) on OpenSea:

_{Visit the OpenSea help center to report plagiarized or stolen NFTs. (Source: OpenSea)}

1. Visit the Help Center for OpenSea.
2. Choose "Intellectual Property Rights Violation / Takedown Request" from the drop-down box under "How can we help?"
3. Type your email address there.
4. Type "fraudulent content" in the subject line.
5. Provide as much information as possible in the "Description" area to demonstrate that an OpenSea listing is your artwork that has been put without authorization (include links). Describe the photographs you've included (see Step 6 below).
6. Include images of the plagiarized NFT listings and the websites where your work is stored (someone likely discovered it to copy before putting it on OpenSea).
7. Press "Submit."

How to Report Stolen NFT(s) on Rarible:

Like OpenSea, Rarible provides a process where users may report cases of stolen sold as NFTs on their marketplace. To report an item of stolen NFT art on Rarible, you must first locate the NFTs in question:

_{Locate the NFT which has stolen or plagiarized your work. (Source: Rarible)}

1. Please choose "Report" by clicking on the three dots in the upper left corner of the plagiarized or stolen NFT.
2. Declare that the work is plagiarized, and support your assertion with as much information as possible.
3. Press "Report."

_{Explain in detail why you are reporting the NFT. (Source: Rarible)}

The Takeaway – How to Stop Plagiarized NFTs: 

Even while artists have the option to report stolen NFTs directly to the marketplaces that sell them, the issue of thieves making money from the works of artists, designers, illustrators, and other creators is still far from being solved. According to the creator behind the @NFTtheft Twitter account, the problem is systemic and needs a systemic fix.

The need to anticipate risk related to NFTs and their transfers has grown in tandem with their popularity. NotCommon offers intelligence and security solutions to assist you in safeguarding your NFTs, whether you're an NFT creator, collector, trader, or NFT project owner.