On March 4, 2025, the official accounts on X (formerly known as Twitter) for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) were hacked. The attackers exploited these high-profile accounts to promote fraudulent cryptocurrencies, namely ‘NBACoin′and′NBA Coin’ and ‘NBACoin′and′Nascar Coin’.
NASCAR Attack Details
The compromised posts appeared on both the main NBA account and various country-specific accounts, as well as on the primary accounts for NASCAR events like the NASCAR Cup. The hackers falsely announced the launch of ‘NBACoin′and′NBA Coin’ and ‘NBACoin′and′Nascar Coin’ on Solana’s blockchain, coupled with fake press releases.
One notable post claimed, “The NBA is taking the game to the next level. Introducing $NBA Coin – our official digital asset on Solana to increase fan engagement and the future of sports transactions,” followed by a link to a contract address.
Despite the NBA’s prompt action to remove the fraudulent posts, the hackers managed to republish their messages multiple times before the situation was fully resolved.
The potential risk extended to all 50 million followers of the hacked accounts, although the exact number of users affected by the scam remains unquantified.
Growing Trends in Cyber Attacks
This incident exemplifies a troubling trend of cyber attacks targeting high-profile figures and organizations to promote cryptocurrency scams. Recently, BBC presenter Nick Robinson’s X account was similarly compromised to endorse a non-existent cryptocurrency called ‘$TODAY’.
While the NBA has previously ventured into the cryptocurrency space, such as with the 2021 launch of NBA Top Shot—a blockchain-based digital collectibles platform—there is currently no official cryptocurrency called ‘$NBA Coin,’ nor are there any plans to launch one.
The attack on the NBA and NASCAR accounts underscores the urgent need for organizations to bolster their cybersecurity measures, particularly on social platforms with vast audiences. Users are urged to remain cautious of unverified financial advertisements and take proactive steps to protect their investments from potential scams.
