The resurfacing of scammers targeting the shib community, specifically around the new shib owes you (sou) project designed to compensate for past losses, can severely erode investor trust. while the warning is proactive, the ongoing scam attempts highlight security vulnerabilities and risks, leading to negative sentiment.
The warning comes directly from lucie, a shiba inu executive, confirming an active and verified threat to the community. the sou project itself is also audited and part of official efforts.
Scammer activity, especially when related to compensating for past exploits, creates an environment of distrust and fear. this can deter new investors and potentially lead to existing holders taking profits or exiting to avoid potential risks, creating downward pressure.
The immediate effect of a scam warning often causes a quick negative reaction. however, if the community effectively heeds the warning and no major exploits occur, the price might stabilize. persistent scam attempts, however, could lead to prolonged negative sentiment.
Cover image via U.Today Read U.TODAY on Google News On Wednesday Feb. 18, Lucie, a renowned Shiba Inu executive, issued a critical warning to users after scammers targeting the Shiba Inu community resurfaced with another scheme. Advertisement Following a recent X post from the executive, Lucie warned that scammers are using fake portals to exploit funds around the new SHIB-based NFT project, dubbed SHIB OWES YOU (SOU). Lucie warned that malicious actors are actively spreading phishing links, fake SOU portals and mirror websites that mimic the official Shiba Inu website. HOT Stories Morning Crypto Report: XRP Defends 200-Week Support, Altcoin Sell-Off Hits Five-Year Highs, Arthur Hayes Shares Two Scenarios for Bitcoin Amid 'AI Financial Crisis' Saylor: 'We Are in Crypto Winter' These fake portals aim to trick users into connecting their wallets. This way, the attackers can drain the funds of victims. Furthermore, Lucie emphasized that users should only access the official SHIB portal and carefully verify all links before doing anything. Advertisement Introducing SOU (SHIB OWES YOU) The warning has come shortly after the Shiba Inu team disclosed the emergence of the SOU (Shib Owes You) project, a blockchain-based initiative created in response to a September 2025 bridge exploit, in which tokens leaving Shibarium failed to arrive on Ethereum, resulting in an estimated $2-4 million in losses across 17 tokens. While the SHIB developers had introduced SOU as a transparent on-chain compensation mechanism in regards to the incident, affected users are offered a permanent, audited NFT on Ethereum that records exactly what the ecosystem owes them, including token types and amounts. You Might Also Like Wed, 02/18/2026 - 13:56 Shiba Inu Web3 Exploration Highlights Five Potential Use Cases By Tomiwabold Olajide These records are publicly verifiable through blockchain explorers such as Etherscan, ensuring that claims cannot be altered or deleted. Advertisement While the team is hell-bent on reinforcing trust, the SOU smart contracts were independently audited by Hexens, a well-known blockchain security firm. The audit reviewed minting logic, principal calculations and safeguards against duplicate or fraudulent claims. According to the project, the review confirmed that the system contains no hidden backdoors and that all issuance is traceable and verifiable. #Shiba Inu #Ethereum #Shibarium