Pi Network has temporarily disabled Pi Network payment requests after scammers used deceptive wallet requests to trick users into approving transfers, draining millions of PI tokens. The company said the pause is a precautionary measure while it reviews the incident.
How Payment Requests Were Abused
The payment request tool lets users request PI transfers from other accounts. According to reports, the attackers sent requests designed to look legitimate, leading some users to approve transfers to wallets controlled by the scammers.
Because the users approved these transactions, the network processed them as valid transfers. Hence, they are difficult to reverse. Several outlets described the incident as a coordinated payment request scam, rather than a technical exploit of the PI Network protocol.
Scale of the Losses
Estimates of the total losses vary across reports. Some sources cited roughly four million PI tokens drained through the scam, while others reported figures closer to 44 million tokens. The discrepancy reflects differing methodologies and the evolving nature of the investigation.
What remains consistent is that a significant volume of PI tokens was drained during the incident. This is one of the larger reported losses tied to user-initiated wallet interactions within the Pi ecosystem.
What Was Shut Down and What Wasn’t
Pi Network disabled Pi Network payment requests specifically, while leaving other wallet functions and the underlying blockchain operational. There has been no indication that private keys were compromised or that core network infrastructure was affected.
Official Response and User Guidance
In statements shared through official channels, Pi Network stated that it has suspended the function to limit further exposure while the incident is being assessed. They advised users to remain cautious when approving transactions and to rely only on verified communications from the project.
The company has not provided a timeline for when it plans to restore Pi Network payment requests. Additional safeguards may certainly be introduced before the feature is re-enabled.
Broader Context
The incident follows a wider pattern of scams targeting user-approval mechanisms across the crypto industry. As wallet interfaces emphasize convenience, features such as payment requests and approval prompts have increasingly become points of exploitation.
Similar tactics have been observed in other cases involving crypto payment request scams. Losses result from manipulated user actions rather than direct breaches of blockchain systems.
>>> Read more: SAFE Crypto Act Targets Crypto Scams With Stablecoin Recovery
What Comes Next
Pi Network said it continues to monitor activity and investigate the scope of the scam. For now, the payment request feature remains disabled, with no confirmed timeline for reinstatement.
