Metallica's official X social media account was hacked to promote a fake fan token called METAL, ostensibly on the Solana platform. The hackers posted messages encouraging fans to purchase the token, promising various bonuses and benefits. However, the band quickly responded to the incident, regaining control of the account and deleting all fraudulent posts.
Consequences of the hack
Fan reactions: Many fans of the band expressed their dissatisfaction and concern about the hack, fearing for the security of their data and trust in Metallica's official channels. The attackers published messages calling for the purchase of the METAL token, offering exclusive bonuses, concert tickets, and unique merch, which attracted the attention of thousands of subscribers.
The band's actions: Metallica immediately notified its subscribers about the hack and urged them to ignore all messages related to the fake token. The band also assured that they did not issue any such tokens and do not plan to issue them. In the statement, the band noted that they are actively cooperating with cybersecurity experts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
General context
Such hacks of celebrity accounts are becoming increasingly common in the world of cryptocurrencies and social networks. Attackers use the popularity of famous personalities and brands to promote fraudulent schemes, which undermines users' trust in cryptocurrencies and official accounts. In this case, the goal was to use a well-known name to quickly attract attention and create the appearance of legitimacy for the project.
