Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris recently fell victim to a hacking incident that saw his X account used to promote a cryptocurrency scam. The hackers took advantage of Norris’s celebrity status to create a meme coin called DEAN, which quickly gained a market cap of over $8 million.
The scheme involved the hackers using a photoshopped image of Norris holding a notepad with the word “$DEAN” and a launch date, leading users to believe that the actor had launched his own cryptocurrency and was endorsing it on social media. To further convince users, the hackers even created a video of Norris seemingly confirming the token’s launch.
However, on January 26th, Norris took to his account to clarify that he had been hacked and that the entire crypto promotion was a scam. He thanked the platform for helping him regain access to his account and urged users to ignore the fraudulent activity.
Despite Norris’s efforts to set the record straight, the damage had already been done. The DEAN token, which had reached a market cap of $8.4 million, saw a significant drop in value following the actor’s clarification. Its market cap plummeted to $57,000, with a trading volume of $263,000 and liquidity of $46,000. The token is currently trading at $0.0456, with traders rapidly selling off their holdings.
In response to accusations on Reddit that he had orchestrated the scam for personal gain, Norris denied any involvement and pointed out that it was actually the accusers who were pumping up the token’s value. He also clarified that he does not own a Telegram account and rarely uses his X account for such activities.
This incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with cryptocurrency investments and the importance of verifying information before making any financial decisions. As the crypto market continues to attract attention, users must remain vigilant against potential scams and fraudulent activities.