Just when you think the wild ride’s settled, boom! Hackers pull off another slick move.
This time, they hacked Instagram accounts of big-name celebs, like Adele, Tyla, Future, and even the late Michael Jackson, to push a fake Solana meme coin.
Yeah, scammers are hustling hard, exploiting the crypto boom like it’s their own playground.
Pump and dump
These fraudsters hijacked star-studded accounts to promote a token called “FREEBANDZ”, a clever little ruse, considering Future’s record label and clothing line share that name.
The hackers posted an AI-generated pic of Future holding this giant coin stamped with “FREEBANDZ,” trying to trick fans into thinking it was legit. Spoiler, it wasn’t.
Michael Jackson, Future, Tyla, and Adele's Instagram accounts were hacked simultaneously pic.twitter.com/MCMPcU41Ww
— NFR Lite (@NFR_Lite) August 22, 2025
That Solana token popped up on the Pump.fun platform and skyrocketed to a market cap of around $900,000. You’d think, hey, that’s something.
But in classic pump-and-dump fashion, the creator sold off 700 million tokens in one slick move that wiped almost 98% off the token’s capitalization.
That’s the crypto version of a back-alley double-cross.
Saying the right things
The scammer made off with more than 250 SOL, valued at over $49,000, for a quick payday.
At the time of writing, none of the celebrities or hacked accounts have stepped up publicly to address this heist. It’s like someone stole your identity and you just shrugged it off. Not cool.
And it’s not slowing down. Earlier this year, the UFC’s official Instagram got hacked to promote another bogus Solana coin.
That scam pulled in an $11 million market cap before tumbling, leaving fans flat-footed and wallets lighter by over a million dollars.
The post promised “Precision. Strength. ALL in one coin.” Funny how scammers know how to say the right things, but the truth is, it’s all a hustle.
Holding the bag
Even more notorious names, like Barack Obama or Elon Musk have had their Instagram accounts compromised to push fake crypto schemes.
These hackers hunt the biggest fish, knowing that a celebrity stamp boosts a scam’s legitimacy, lures the crowd, pumps the price, and then sells off, leaving investors holding the bag.
So keep your guard up and your skepticism sharper. If a celebrity, especially on social media, suddenly tells you about a new crypto gem out of nowhere, think twice.
Disclosure:This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
Kriptoworld.com accepts no liability for any errors in the articles or for any financial loss resulting from incorrect information.
Cryptocurrency and Web3 expert, founder of Kriptoworld
LinkedIn | X (Twitter) | More articles
With years of experience covering the blockchain space, András delivers insightful reporting on DeFi, tokenization, altcoins, and crypto regulations shaping the digital economy.
📅 Published: August 25, 2025 • 🕓 Last updated: August 25, 2025
✉️ Contact: [email protected]
