Trump Family Members’ X Accounts Hacked to Promote Scam Crypto Token
The X accounts of Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump, daughter-in-law and daughter of former President Donald Trump, were hacked on Tuesday evening. The compromised accounts were used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency token allegedly linked to the upcoming project, World Liberty Financial.
The hackers hijacked the accounts of Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump, to tweet about “the only official” blockchain addresses for World Liberty Financial. In one of the tweets, Lara Trump wrote, “Our goal at World Liberty … is to utilize our governance token on Solana, $WL, to support our DeFi lending protocol.” These messages, intended to lend credibility to the fraudulent token, quickly spread across the platform.
However, it wasn’t long before Eric Trump, the middle son of the former President, took to X to alert followers that both accounts had been compromised. He warned that the addresses shared were part of a scam. World Liberty Financial itself confirmed the breach, tweeting: “ALERT: Lara’s and Tiffany Trump’s X accounts have been hacked. Do NOT click on any links or purchase any tokens shared from their profiles. We’re actively working to fix this, but please stay vigilant and avoid scams!”
This incident marks the latest in a series of scams that exploit the Trump name and its growing association with the cryptocurrency industry. Over the past few months, Donald Trump and his family members have been increasingly vocal about their interest in crypto, with the former President even positioning himself as a “chief crypto advocate” for the World Liberty Financial project, according to its white paper.
The Trump family has been no stranger to such controversies. Earlier this year, a token called DJT, allegedly linked to Trump’s youngest child, Barron Trump, was promoted by convicted fraudster Martin Shkreli. However, the Trump family never confirmed any official ties to the project. Another token, Restore the Republic (RTR), briefly reached a $155 million valuation before its value plummeted.
World Liberty Financial, the latest project associated with the Trumps, is described as a borrowing-and-lending DeFi platform that plans to issue a token called WLFI. While the project has yet to announce an official launch date, it has attracted attention due to the Trump family’s involvement.
The Need for Greater Security in Decentralized Finance
This incident has once again highlighted the inherent risks within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, where anyone can create tokens on blockchain networks such as Solana or Ethereum without any screening or oversight. The ease with which bad actors can exploit these blockchain networks to execute scams, such as rug pulls, underscores the need for better security measures.
While the decentralized nature of blockchain technology is one of its most celebrated features, it also creates challenges in protecting users from fraud. The ability to bypass traditional financial regulations and oversight means that there are few safeguards in place to prevent scams like the one perpetrated on the Trump family’s X accounts.
There is growing consensus that these blockchain networks need to enact some form of self-regulation to protect the public. Organizations that serve as stewards of layer-1 blockchains could play a crucial role in this effort, enacting safeguards to reduce the potential for fraud while maintaining the decentralized ethos of the space.
The incident involving Lara and Tiffany Trump’s accounts serves as a stark reminder that even in a decentralized world, some level of oversight and protection is essential to prevent the exploitation of unsuspecting users. As the crypto industry continues to evolve, it will be imperative for all stakeholders to balance the benefits of decentralization with the need to protect consumers from bad actors.
Robest Samms
News Desk
