UFC star Dustin Poirier has provided compelling evidence supporting his recent hacking claims, sharing a screenshot from X (formerly Twitter) showing unauthorized access to his account from Novosibirsk, Russia. The revelation comes amid growing scrutiny of cryptocurrency promotion scams involving high-profile influencers.
The notification from X detailed a login from an Android device in Russia, confirming Poirier’s account had been compromised. This evidence emerges as rapper Kanye West recently exposed a widespread scheme offering influencers substantial payments to promote cryptocurrency scams and subsequently claim they were hacked.
According to Poirier, his team worked with UFC management to regain control of his account after hackers used it to promote cryptocurrency schemes. The incident parallels a larger pattern of crypto scams targeting celebrity accounts, recently brought to light when West shared details of a $2 million offer he received to promote a fraudulent “Ye coin” on the Solana blockchain.
Cryptocurrency investigator Gadget has linked these schemes to controversial figure Andrew Tate and his associate “Issa” (@issathecooker). The typical operation involves offering influencers large upfront payments for crypto promotion, with explicit instructions to claim their accounts were hacked after a specified period.
This coordinated approach to crypto fraud has become increasingly common, with scammers targeting high-profile figures across sports, entertainment, and social media. The scheme typically involves:
- Substantial upfront payments to influencers
- Short-term promotion requirements
- Pre-planned “hacking” claims to provide deniability
- Quick profit extraction before the scam is exposed
While Poirier’s case appears to be a genuine security breach, the timing has drawn attention to the broader issue of cryptocurrency scams targeting public figures. The UFC fighter’s transparency in sharing evidence of the hack stands in contrast to the orchestrated “hack claims” that have become a hallmark of crypto fraud schemes.
