---
title: "Coingecko’s X Accounts Compromised to Announce Fake Token Airdrop"
url: https://diffcoin.com/coingeckos-x-accounts-compromised-to-announce-fake-token-airdrop/
description: "A fake tweet from Coingecko's hacked X account lured users to click on a malicious link to claim token airdrops."
published: 2024-01-11
updated: 2024-01-11
author: "Mila"
site: "Diffcoin"
---

# Coingecko’s X Accounts Compromised to Announce Fake Token Airdrop

Hackers briefly took over the official X accounts of major crypto data aggregator Coingecko to promote a fake token launch and airdrop.

The Coingecko incident became the second X hack within 24 hours after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s account was also compromised.

- Coingecko announced the news of the hack in an X post on Jan. 10, warning users not to click or engage any suspicious links. The platform further said it would carry out investigations and secure its X accounts.

> Our Twitter accounts [@CoinGecko](https://twitter.com/coingecko?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) and [@GeckoTerminal](https://twitter.com/GeckoTerminal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) have been compromised. We’re taking immediate steps to investigate the situation and secure our accounts.
> 
> Please DO NOT click on any links or engage with suspicious content. Your security is our top priority.
> 
> We’ll keep you…
> 
> — CoinGecko (@coingecko) [January 10, 2024](https://twitter.com/coingecko/status/1745158344191717746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

- The compromised tweet, already deleted, announced the rollout of a token called GCKO, with the post directing users to a link to claim airdrops of the token to celebrate the launch.
- However, some users appeared to have interacted with the scam link, [reporting lost funds](https://twitter.com/streamtosuccess/status/1745158651025760264?t=yD0ymMMXi9I2xhYoh4o2-w&s=19) as a result. Some others wondered if Coingecko implemented two-factor authentication (2FA) that may have prevented the hack from happening.
- The latest incident comes on the heels of a recent hack involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
- As previously reported by *CryptoPotato*, the SEC announced on X the approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, an announcement that sent the price of Bitcoin (BTC) to over $47,600.
- But shortly after the tweet, SEC chairman Gary Gensler said the agency’s X account was compromised, and the news was fake, with BTC’s price falling to around $45,000 in response.
- While there were speculations that the hack was an inside job, a preliminary investigation by X Safety revealed that it happened because an “unidentified individual” took control of a phone number associated with the agency’s account via a third party.
- Also, the SEC did not set up a 2FA for its X account, with the lack of proper security measures drawing heavy criticism from the crypto community.

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[Source link](https://cryptopotato.com/coingeckos-x-accounts-compromised-to-announce-fake-token-airdrop/)