- Pi Network suspends wallet payment requests after widespread scams target users.
- Scammers exploit public balances and impersonate trusted contacts to steal funds.
- PI trades near $0.20 amid low liquidity and recent token unlocks.
Pi Network has temporarily disabled its wallet payment request feature following a surge of sophisticated scam activity that has resulted in the theft of millions of PI tokens from user wallets.
The Pi Core Team announced the move on X, citing an increase in attacks that abuse the platform’s payment request function to trick users into approving fraudulent transfers.
On-chain data shared by community observers and reporting outlets indicate that scammers have siphoned more than 4.4 million PI by sending deceptive payment requests to holders with large balances. In some cases, a single attacker address reportedly received hundreds of thousands of tokens each month throughout 2025.
When users approve a payment request, the tokens are transferred immediately to the attacker’s wallet and cannot be reversed, leaving victims with no way to recover funds after authorization.
The Pi Core Team emphasized that these incidents are primarily the result of social engineering rather than a vulnerability in the network’s protocol.
Because wallet balances and addresses are publicly visible on Pi’s blockchain, bad actors can identify high‑value wallets and impersonate trusted contacts, friends, moderators, or even official accounts to persuade users to authorize transfers.
To prevent further losses, the network has disabled the payment request function across its ecosystem while it evaluates additional safeguards. The suspension is intended to be temporary, but no specific timeline for restoring the feature has been announced.
Meanwhile, community moderators and safety advocates are urging all users to refuse unsolicited payment requests and to remain vigilant.
Scam tactics and broader security concerns
Experts and user reports suggest the recent scams are part of a wider increase in deceptive schemes targeting Pi users. Fraudsters are using many approaches, including phishing links that promise fake airdrops or promotions and counterfeit portals that request wallet credentials or private keys. These tactics can lead to full account takeovers when users reveal sensitive information.
Pi Network’s core team has repeatedly warned users not to share private keys, seed phrases, or account credentials, and to avoid interacting with unverified links shared via social media or messaging platforms.
Although independent analysts do not broadly classify Pi Network itself as a scam project, its rapid user growth, mobile-first model, and referral-driven incentives have attracted scrutiny and made the large user base a target for scammers. Users are advised to use only official channels for communications and to exercise extra caution when contacted by unfamiliar or unverifiable accounts.
Impact on PI token price
The suspension of payment requests coincides with mixed sentiment around the PI token’s market performance. PI is trading near the $0.20 level and has seen only modest movement, up roughly 1% over the past two weeks.
Market pressures include low liquidity and ongoing token unlocks, which have released significant quantities of PI into circulation in recent months. The market has struggled to absorb the increased supply, and daily trading volumes remain moderate, contributing to price stagnation.
With the network addressing security concerns and the team evaluating protective measures, users and observers will be watching for updates on the payment request feature and any additional steps taken to strengthen user safety and network resilience.