Cybercriminals hacked the Twitter account of popular ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday to promote a fraudulent NFT giveaway, attempting to capitalize on fans’ interest in digital collectibles.
The scam tweet, posted around 6:30PM ET, claimed that popular NFT platform NBA Top Shot was distributing “free NFT packs” and provided a link to a fake NBA Top Shot website. This act of deception aimed to steal crypto assets from unsuspecting basketball enthusiasts.
Within an hour, over 50,000 views accrued on the nefarious post before Twitter removed it from Wojnarowski’s profile. The official NBA Top Shot account quickly alerted followers that no free NFT airdrop promotion existed.
This security breach underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities of prominent social media accounts to hacking, despite Twitter’s cybersecurity efforts. Wojnarowski, known for breaking NBA news and rumors, maintains over 4 million followers who could have been duped by the fake tweet.
However, NBA Top Shot’s declining user base limits the scam’s scope. Statistics show only about 13,650 active users remaining in January 2023, a massive drop from 399,000 at the NFT platform’s peak in March 2021.
Nonetheless, this cyber attack reveals the need for continued vigilance against social engineering tactics aimed at defrauding basketball fans. Experts recommend scrutinizing links in tweets, even from reputable sources, to avoid falling victim to digital theft schemes.
