A clever cybercriminal stole almost $500,000 by hacking 15 renowned X accounts and using them to push bogus memecoins. ZachXBT, a blockchain investigator, uncovered the operation, which included phishing attempts aimed at tricking users into disclosing sensitive account information.
The attacker purportedly impersonated the X team and sent bogus copyright infringement notifications to create a sense of urgency. The hacker drove the victims to phishing websites, where they unintentionally reset their passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) settings, thereby giving the hacker complete control over their accounts.
The hacker used the compromised accounts, primarily belonging to crypto-focused personalities and sites like Kick, Cursor, and Brett, to spread links promoting fake memecoins. The hacker’s efforts included posting notices with attractive wording like “Incoming Transmission” alongside contract addresses to lure followers into making transfers.
We tracked the operation back to six deployer addresses, transferring stolen cash between the Solana and Ethereum networks to hide its origin. Despite these attempts, blockchain analysis connected the activity to a single source.
ZachXBT stressed the importance of internet security, encouraging users to avoid reusing email addresses across platforms and to utilize strong two-factor authentication on key accounts.
This scam is part of a larger trend of increasing hacks on X accounts, as hackers capitalize on the platform’s expanding significance in the cryptocurrency market.
