An NFT project developer steals $138,000, sending images of random emojis to buyers

A 3D-rendered bust, with a futuristic helmet and cowl, and a red and white neck covering.Sample Iconics artwork (attribution)
NFT collectors eagerly bought thousands of presales of an NFT project called "Iconics" after viewing sample artwork from a supposedly 17-year-old 3D artist. When they viewed their NFTs, instead of the 3D busts they had expected, they were brought to images of random collections of emojis. It was later discovered that the artwork had been stolen from an artist unaffiliated with the NFT project.