The X account of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé was compromised on August 28, with hackers using the platform to promote a Solana-based token called MBAPPE.
Shortly after the fraudulent posts appeared on Mbappé’s account, the MBAPPE token experienced a dramatic surge in market capitalization, briefly reaching $460 million, according to DEX screener.
However, this rise was short-lived, as the token’s value rapidly plummeted in a classic pump-and-dump scheme, leading to significant losses for many crypto traders. According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, one investor lost over $1 million after buying 7,156 SOL worth of the MBAPPE token, which rapidly decreased in value to just $9,200.
In contrast, another trader who invested only 2 Solana (SOL) turned a profit of around $200,000 by selling at the token’s peak.
The incident also involved a series of bizarre posts from Mbappé’s account, including fake transfer news and controversial comments about other soccer stars. These posts, along with the promotion of the fraudulent token, were later deleted.
Other celebrity crypto hacks
In June, Rapper 50 Cent’s X account and personal website were hacked to promote a fake cryptocurrency called GUNIT, leading to a pump-and-dump scam.
The hackers reportedly made off with $300 million in 30 minutes by exploiting 50 Cent’s influence, though trading data shows a lower volume.
Also in June, Metallica’s X account was hacked to promote a Solana token called METAL, with scammers making false claims about partnerships with Ticketmaster and MoonPay. The token’s market cap briefly reached $3.37 million before plummeting to $34,000.
The incident, attributed to notorious scammer Sahil Arora, involved misleading posts about discounts and staking rewards.
Mbappé’s representatives have yet to comment on the breach, and it remains unclear how the account was compromised.
