UK Lawmaker’s X Account Reportedly Hacked to Promote Fake Solana Token
In a new cyber attack, UK Labour MP and Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, had her verified X (formerly Twitter) account hacked on April 15 to promote a fake Solana token dubbed the “House of Commons Coin” ($HCC). The now-deleted post from Powell’s official account described HCC as a “community-driven digital currency bringing people’s power to the blockchain,” accompanied by visuals bearing the official House of Commons crest.
The tweets encouraged Powell’s nearly 70,000 followers to invest in the freshly minted Solana-based token. According to Powell’s team, her account was swiftly secured once the breach was identified. “Lucy Powell’s personal X account was hacked this morning. Steps were taken quickly to secure the account and remove misleading posts,” a spokesperson stated. Despite the high-profile nature of the target, the scam’s financial yield was minimal. DEX Screener data revealed that the HOC token was barely impacted. It recorded just over 700 transactions and peaked at a market cap of around $24,000 before crashing to a mere $3,800. Only 34 trades were linked to real profits, generating an estimated £225.
A Growing Trend of Crypto Scams via Hacked X Accounts
Powell’s case is not isolated. Many political figures worldwide prey on cybercriminals, exploiting their public profiles to validate bogus crypto projects. Just last month, Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama had his X account compromised for two days. The hackers used the opportunity to promote a scam Solana-based token dubbed Solanafrica. In February, President Javier Milei became another victim of a controversial token launch in Argentina. After he tweeted support for a crypto called LIBRA, which skyrocketed by over 3,000% in hours, the post was deleted, and Milei disavowed involvement.
Subsequent investigations alleged insider manipulation. Firms like Kelsier Ventures were implicated in orchestrating a rigged launch that netted insiders over $110 million by controlling token access and liquidity. Similarly, Argentine congressman José Luis Espert also had his X account hijacked to launch a so-called “$LIBRA V2,” supposedly aimed at boosting the nation’s economy. His team later blamed the breach on a coordinated attack to destabilize Milei’s administration. Asia hasn’t been spared either. Former Vice President Leni Robredo’s account was misused in the Philippines to promote another Solana-based scam token. She promptly informed her followers to disregard the misleading content as she worked to regain control of her account.
A Pattern Re-emerging in Media and Politics Alike
Powell is the latest high-profile victim among many influential figures targeted by crypto scammers. In the UK media, BBC journalist Nick Robinson also saw his X account hacked earlier this year after he clicked on a phishing email. The post falsely announced that he was launching a cryptocurrency named $Today for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. In fact, in crypto, the most recent similar one was Watcher.Guru, who confirmed that its X account was hacked on March 21, spread false information about a partnership between Ripple and SWIFT that briefly influenced XRP sentiment.
The fake post was automatically reposted across Watcher.Guru’s other platforms via a content bot, despite the outlet’s use of two-factor authentication. The team suspects the breach might be linked to a suspicious link previously shared in their Telegram group. Social engineering remains the most common method for initial breaches. Fraudsters often use phishing emails that direct users to clone login portals or embed malware to harvest credentials. Once inside an account, attackers post flashy graphics and promises of profit, using the account owner’s stolen credibility to lure unsuspecting buyers. The HCC scam may have fizzled out quickly, but it stands as another warning to users and institutions to be wary of influencer-promoted tokens.