Crypto Influencer Accounts Hacked in Suspicious Token Shilling Spree
NAIROBI (CoinChapter.com) — Prominent crypto influencer accounts were hacked over the weekend, used to shill suspicious new tokens in an apparent orchestrated hack. The affected included the anonymous trader GCR, rapper Rich The Kid, and even reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner.
A snippet Miles Deutscher’s post on X
The hacked accounts promoted various little-known cryptocurrencies to millions of followers, causing temporary price pumps. GCR’s account shilled ORDI and Luna2, briefly sending them up 6% and 274% respectively. Meanwhile, Rich The Kid and Jenner appeared to be promoting new meme tokens launched just hours before.
GCR Confirms Breach, Warns of Wider Attack
GCR (Gigantic-Cassocked-Rebirth), the pseudonymous trader, acknowledged their X account hack on May 26. Notably, they stated that they received notifications two months ago about bribery attempts to access the account. “There can’t be any security if X employees take money for admin access,” GCR stated. This hinted at potential insider involvement facilitating the hacks.
A screenshot of GCR post on X
Bitcoin developer Udi Wertheimer also cautioned the GCR incident could be “part of an operation going on hacking big [X] accounts.” Udi Wertheimer urged caution as more questionable celebrity-linked token launches emerged over the long weekend.
Celebrities Like Jenner and Rich The Kid Also Targeted
Moreover, the attacks went far beyond just GCR’s account. American media personality Caitlyn Jenner’s X feed began promoting a new meme coin called “JENNER”. This was accompanied by videos of Jenner urging followers to get in quickly. The account of rapper Rich The Kid also posted about a token dubbed “RICH” on the Solana blockchain.
Moreover, while the authenticity of these celebrity posts remains unclear, signs point to a coordinated hacking campaign timed for the holiday weekend. Certainly, this is when security staffing is most likely to have been reduced. Prominent developer Udi Wertheimer warned,
“GCR already told us today that there’s an operation going on hacking big twitter accounts…I recommend that you guys be very careful.”
Additionally, while some crypto influencer accounts that were hacked blatantly promoted tokens, the Caitlyn Jenner incident raised suspicions of deepfake technology involvement. Accompanying videos showed Jenner assuring followers of the token’s legitimacy and urged viewers to “get in on this” quickly. However, the associated crypto wallet address matched one previously used in a hack targeting adult content creator Kazumi, casting doubt on the videos’ authenticity.
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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ May 27, 2024 10:13 pm