My X Account Was Hijacked to Sell a Fake WIRED Memecoin. Then Came the Backlash

A crypto journalist faced a devastating attack when their account was compromised just days before a fake cryptocurrency was launched under their name. The scammer, exploiting the journalist's expertise as a crypto reporter, minted a WIRED-branded token on Pump.Fun, an easy-to-use launchpad platform. The attacker purchased and distributed a small portion of the total supply to pump prices before rapidly selling off after the market crashed. Despite not enabling two-factor authentication, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by an attacker with malicious intent.