Hollywood Scandal: Celebrities, Hackers, and Meme Cryptocurrencies

Introduction

ZachXBT, a specialist in blockchain transaction analysis, has revealed connections between the hacking of two Hollywood celebrities’ accounts and the convicted British hacker Gurvinder Bhangu, known as Gurv. Attacks on the accounts of actors Sydney Sweeney and Bob Odenkirk were utilized to promote fraudulent meme cryptocurrencies, generating over half a million dollars in stolen funds.

Attack on Sydney Sweeney’s Account

On July 2nd, Sydney Sweeney’s account on platform X was hacked. Hackers used the actress’s account to promote an unreliable cryptocurrency “$SWEENEY,” generating turnovers exceeding 10 million dollars in just two hours. The price of the fraudulent token surged sharply, only to drop shortly after. This attack coincided with reports of criminals taking control of the actress’s phone number.

Connection to Gurv

Gurv, previously convicted for hacking Instagram accounts, received verification codes for Sweeney’s account via Telegram, confirming the links between him and the attack. The hacker used the same identifier in various discussion groups, suggesting the complexity of his operations.

Attack on Bob Odenkirk’s Account

A similar attack occurred on July 9th on Bob Odenkirk’s account. The hackers introduced the cryptocurrencies “KIRK” and “SAUL” into circulation. Despite similarities to the Sweeney attack, this time the scale of the theft was smaller, possibly due to the attention being divided between two fraudulent tokens.

Investigation Progress

Investigators monitoring blockchain transactions determined that the stolen funds were transferred to an exchange, where they were converted into Bitcoin and Ethereum, and then redistributed. Profits from hacking accounts were allocated to various purposes, including cryptocurrency casinos and the purchase of gift cards.

Summary

The frauds connected to Sydney Sweeney and Bob Odenkirk represent only a part of the broader trend of using Hollywood accounts to promote meme cryptocurrencies. ZachXBT calls for a swift response from British law enforcement regarding Gurv, considering the abundant evidence against him.