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Jimmy Aki
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Jimmy Aki
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American rapper Wiz Khalifa’s X account, with a following of 35.7 million, was recently hacked to promote a fake meme coin called WIZ.
On November 3, blockchain investigator ZachXBT revealed in his public Telegram group that Khalifa’s account was compromised to promote the fraudulent WIZ token, a Solana-based meme coin launched via pump.fun.
The hacker, posing as Wiz Khalifa, announced a collaboration to release WIZ “for all the crypto fam,” sharing a now-deleted link that directed followers to the fake coin.
The targeted attack drove the WIZ token price up nearly 2,000%, reaching a market cap of $2.5 million in the first 15 minutes after the post.
However, the token quickly plunged over 95%, falling to a market cap of just $7,900, according to DEX Screener, as holders dumped their holdings en masse.
Following the hack, ZachXBT warned followers not to buy WIZ, cautioning that it was another scheme by an unidentified scammer exploiting celebrity accounts to promote sham meme coins.
Wiz Khalifa’s team has yet to comment on the breach, and there has been no indication that control of the account has been fully restored.
This hack mirrors similar incidents involving the same suspect, as highlighted by ZachXBT in his telegram channel.
On October 29, Andy Ayrey, founder of Truth Terminal, saw his X account hijacked by what many suspected to be the same scammer involved in the Wiz Khalifa breach.
Through Ayrey’s account, the hacker promoted a coin called Infinite Backrooms, drawing over $600,000 by exploiting Ayrey’s credibility in the crypto community.
Growing Pattern of High-Profile Meme Coin Scams in 2024
The recent hack of Wiz Khalifa’s X account is part of a disturbing trend of high-profile social media breaches in 2024, each linked to the promotion of fraudulent meme coins.
On August 22, scammers took control of McDonald’s official Instagram account to promote a Solana-based meme coin called “GRIMACE.” The hackers allegedly claimed earnings exceeding $700,000 before the fast-food chain regained control.
Only days later, on August 28, French footballer Kylian Mbappe’s X account was compromised. The hacked account promoted a meme coin named $MBAPPE, costing one cryptocurrency investor over $1 million within an hour.
On September 10, the Indian Premier League cricket team, Delhi Capitals’ X account with 2.6 million followers, was similarly hacked.
Attackers used the account’s reach to promote the “HACKER” token, attempting to manipulate its value through artificial demand.
Additonally, the frequency and impact of these scams raise important questions about X’s, Instagram’s, and other platforms’ ability to protect influential users from hackers and prevent further compromise.
