What just happened? Dean Norris, you know, the guy from Breaking Bad, had his X account hacked to shill a scammy cryptocurrency. The world of AI-generated deepfakes and celebrity endorsements is getting murky, and it leaves us all on edge.
The Hacked Account
Norris got his verified account back, but not before these hackers turned it into a cyber-wildwest zone. They were pushing a memecoin called DEAN, and it wasn’t long before he confirmed in a video that this is indeed a total scam. They had footage that looked like him shilling the token. Speculation is that the video was a deepfake or taken from a Cameo.
Imagine having this happen to you and the first thing people do? They lash out at you for being a shill.
Pump-and-Dump Scheme
From what I could see, DEAN token’s price skyrocketed to over $8 million market cap before plummeting more than 96% within hours. Just another pump-and-dump scheme playing out in real time, and leaving losses in its wake.
In the video he posted, Norris also stated that he didn’t have a Telegram and didn’t even know he’d been hacked until his friends started texting him about it.
AI-Generated Deepfakes
The technology behind these deepfakes is getting very good. We can’t even depend on human observation anymore. We can’t even tell the difference between real and fake. Remember CryptoCore? Yeah, they used AI to make fake videos of celeb promotions to steal over $5 million.
Celeb Endorsements
Now, I get it, who doesn’t love a good celebrity endorsement? Turns out it can drive a lot of traffic and even help ICOs hit their goals. But they aren’t the best way to get people into your product. They can be a red flag for scams, especially when you throw in a long vesting period.
But having a credible source can help ease the risk. Celebs partaking in the scam can really amplify the risk by pushing opportunities without disclosing their ties.
Solutions to Avoid being scammed
To protect yourself from scams, here’s what you can do:
First, join coalitions like “Tech Against Scams.” Yeah, it’s a real thing. It’s made up of major players like Meta and Coinbase.
Then, get some identity verification going on. Use KYC tools, something like SEON to minimize fraudulent registrations.
Also, be on the lookout for phishing attempts like you’re trying to escape the Matrix.
And finally? Compliance. Stick to regulations for unregistered token offerings, and anti-market manipulation principles.
Protecting Your Digital Assets
There’s a lot you can do to protect your digital assets, here’s what I would do:
Use a reputable crypto wallet. Hardware wallets are going to be your friends.
Enable 2FA on your accounts.
Keep your software updated.
Monitor your accounts for weird transactions.
Keep a backup of your wallet somewhere safe.
