The X account of comedian Tanmay Bhat was breached by unidentified hackers last night. After the hackers announced a phony memecoin on his X account, he took to Instagram to warn his followers not to click on any links.
Around 8:20 p.m. last night, a post was shared on Tanmay Bhat’s compromised X account. The post stated, “I am a fan of Solana and memes, so I decided it was time for me to drop my own coin.” Dev supply will be temporarily restricted. I will be utilizing YouTube revenue from broadcasts and videos to fund the coin and incorporate it into my content.
Tanmay Bhat issued an Instagram warning to individuals to refrain from clicking on any URLs shared on X shortly after this post was shared.
“My Twitter account has been compromised.” Kindly refrain from clicking on any links. He wrote, “I am currently actively engaged in resolving the matter.”
Since then, the X post regarding the crypto fraud has been removed.
Scams involving cryptocurrency
Over the past few years, crypto hackers have compromised the social media accounts of numerous high-profile celebrities in order to propagate fraudulent schemes.
In July 2020, Twitter accounts of notable figures, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian, were hacked to post messages promoting a Bitcoin hoax. The messages promised to double the money sent by followers.
In August 2024, Kylian Mbappe’s Twitter account was hacked, resulting in the posting of false claims regarding cryptocurrency sales and prospective transfers to other football clubs.
Sydney Sweeney and Doja Cat are among the personalities whose social media accounts have been compromised in order to disseminate cryptocurrency scams.
In memecoin scams, such as the one that Bhat encountered, fraudsters introduce new, frequently humorously themed cryptocurrencies (“meme coins”) and employ celebrity images or endorsements to create a sense of excitement. The coin’s value is initially stimulated by the initial buzz; however, the fraudsters then sell off their holdings (“pump and dump”), resulting in a significant loss for investors.
