Circle Executive’s Twitter Account Hacked to Promote Fake USDC Airdrop

Hackers have managed to infiltrate the Twitter account of a Circle executive to falsely state that the stablecoin issuer was conducting a USDC airdrop.

The fake airdrop leads to a phishing website likely designed to steal users’ tokens.

• Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire confirmed that the Twitter account belonging to Dante Disparte, the company’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy, was hacked.
• Perpetrators used Disparte’s account to announce a fake USDC airdrop to the stablecoin holders via a tweet thread on Wednesday (March 22, 2023).
• According to the fake announcement, the airdrop was marketed as compensation for users affected by the USDC depeg. The tweet also included a site that had a fake claim button, which was most likely a drainer.
• Anyone who clicked on the button and approved transactions in their wallets would enable the hacker to drain their tokens.

“To that end, we are pleased to announce that we will be distributing a one-time bonus of USDC to all existing holders. This bonus is our way of thanking you for your continued support and trust in USDC.”

• This is the latest move by hackers to lure users with fake token airdrops via Twitter. As previously reported by CryptoPotato, bad actors took control of News24’s Twitter account to announce fake XRP airdrops.
• Accounts of notable personalities, including Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Barack Obama, and Changpeng Zhao, have also been hacked in the past for fake crypto promotions.