UK Minister’s X Account Hacked to Promote Crypto Scam
April 18, 2025
A verified X account belonging to a senior UK government official, Lucy Powell, was compromised earlier this week to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency known as House of Commons Coin ($HCC).
The posts, which have since been removed, presented the token as a community-led digital currency aiming to "bring people’s power to the blockchain." Images included official-looking graphics featuring the House of Commons logo, likely to boost credibility.
Immediate Action Taken
Powell’s office confirmed that her account was hacked Tuesday morning. “Steps were taken quickly to secure the account and remove misleading posts,” her spokesperson said. Powell currently serves as the Leader of the House of Commons, responsible for managing the UK government’s legislative agenda.
A Familiar Scam Pattern
This isn’t an isolated case. High-profile figures – including BBC’s Nick Robinson—have also fallen victim to similar attacks, which typically involve:
- Phishing emails: Fake login pages or links used to steal credentials.
- Leaked data: Hackers often exploit previously compromised passwords.
- Pump-and-dump tactics: Scammers use verified accounts to promote low-effort tokens, push up the value, and sell quickly before the coin collapses.
According to CoinShares analyst Luke Nolan, the Powell incident only resulted in 34 transactions, generating an estimated £225 in profit – but the reputational risk remains substantial.
The Bigger Picture
Social media scams like this are becoming more frequent. Action Fraud reported over 35,000 incidents of hacked social/email accounts in 2024 alone. They recommend enabling 2FA (two-factor authentication) and using strong, unique passwords to minimize the risk.
The UK Parliament released a statement reinforcing their commitment to cybersecurity but declined to comment on the specific incident.
What This Means for Users
At TweetDeleter, we always emphasize online hygiene. This event is a reminder for X users to review old tweets, revoke access from suspicious apps, and secure accounts with additional verification methods.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting trusted figures to push scams. The best defense is to stay vigilant and keep your social presence clean and secure.
Source: bbc.com
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