OpenSea Looks To Improve Customer Support and Fight Fraud

The NFT marketplace will partner with Web3 communications platform Metalink in an effort to mitigate theft

article-image

Source: Shutterstock

share
  • Scammers allegedly impersonated OpenSea staff to steal funds from NFT holders
  • Last month, opportunists exploited OpenSea’s platform for over $1 million due to a user interface issue on its platform, according to Elliptic

OpenSea is launching a customer service server with Web3 communications platform Metalink in an effort to mitigate risk of fraudsters pretending to be members of the company’s staff. Alleged scammers have previously impersonated the marketplace’s employees to deceive NFT owners in OpenSea’s Discord, scamming them out of millions of dollars.

“OpenSea will be partnering with Metalink as we seek to engage more deeply with the NFT ecosystem,” Stevey Tromberg, OpenSea’s head of community, said in a statement. “Our goal is to create a direct channel for you to interact with OpenSea to get support, offer feedback, receive updates, and to share any other information that will help us better serve you.”

The company hopes to mitigate user risk via Metalink, which operates a “token gated” platform so that only users that own certain NFTs (non-fungible tokens) will have access.

Once users connect their cryptocurrency wallets to the platform, Metalink said, they’ll be connected with an “authenticated” customer support staff from OpenSea. There will be three official channels for OpenSea on Metalink, which include support, announcements and user feedback.

For the time being, Metalink said, these services can be utilized by certain holders, including owners of popular collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club, World of Women, Doodles and Cool Cats.

“This is one of many initiatives planned to expand the reach and effectiveness of our customer support reach, beyond just Discord,” Tromberg said. The new channels will have “dedicated community support staff from OpenSea spending a few hours a day in Metalink, all of whom will be marked as verified OpenSea staff.”

The announcement from OpenSea follows reports of users having their digital collectibles snatched up and resold at far below market value on the platform.

A spokesperson for OpenSea told Blockworks in a Jan. 25 statement that the company has since refunded 130 wallets of affected users, totaling 750 ether ($2.31 million as of Wednesday noon ET).

The loophole was not a bug or an exploit, according to the spokesperson, but rather a user interface issue that occurs when a user creates a listing then transfers the NFT to a different crypto wallet.

The leading NFT marketplace also faces a new competitive challenge from LooksRare, which hopes to lure OpenSea users by rewarding NFT traders with the new platform’s governance token, as well as a cut of the ether from each trade.

OpenSea did not immediately respond to Blockworks’ request for comment.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates.jpg

Research

Figure, founded by former SoFi CEO Mike Cagney, has emerged as a leader in onchain RWAs, with ~$17.5B publicly tokenized. The platform’s ecosystem volume is growing ~40% YoY as it expands beyond HELOCs into student loans, DSCR loans, unsecured loans, bankruptcy claims, and more. Operationally, Figure cuts average loan production cost by ~93% and compresses median funding time from ~42 days to ~10, creating a durable speed-and-cost advantage.

article-image

Layer 2 network Taiko integrates Chainlink Data Streams to deliver reliable onchain market data for DeFi and institutions

by Blockworks /
article-image

The license will allow Bullish to operate in New York under strict digital asset rules

by Blockworks /
article-image

The derivatives giant expands crypto offerings with new Solana and XRP futures options, pending regulatory review

by Blockworks /
article-image

Nasdaq-listed firm to fund Solana token purchases and expand its blockchain-focused treasury strategy

by Blockworks /
article-image

The partnership deepens liquidity and lowers conversion costs as demand for regulated stablecoins grows worldwide

by Blockworks /
article-image

Any indication the FOMC is less dovish than anticipated could weigh on crypto, industry watcher says