Breaking Bad Star Dean Norris X Account Hacked, Used to Promote Fake Coin

Dean Norris, globally known for his portrayal of Hank Schrader in the renowned television series ‘Breaking Bad’, recently found himself stuck in a cybersecurity nightmare when his X (previously Twitter) account was hacked to promote a phony meme coin called ‘Dean’. 

The hoax, which took advantage of the actor’s image and recognition, quickly increased the coin’s market capitalization to more than $8 million before plummeting into obscurity. 

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After recovering control of his X account, Norris addressed the situation in an honest video posted on January 26. The actor fiercely denied any connection, calling the meme coin ‘a complete and fake scam’. Frustrated by the criticism, Norris lashed out at Reddit users who had unfairly condemned him, telling them, ‘Go f*ck yourselves’.

The stolen posts, which have subsequently been deleted, originally featured a heavily doctored image of Norris holding a sign with the meme coin’s ticker and debut date. Another post offered a video that appeared to show Norris endorsing the coin’s authenticity. 

Dean Norris Deepfake or Misuse of Cameo?

There is widespread speculation about the promotional video’s validity. Some users suspect it was a deepfake or artificial intelligence-generated hoax. Others assume it was a Cameo film repackaged with nefarious intent. Dean Norris is known to be active on Cameo, a platform where fans may purchase personalized greetings from celebrities, lending credence to the misuse theory. 

The Rise and Fall of DEAN

The fraud got traction when blockchain tracker DexScreener reported DEAN’s market value of $8.43 million on January 25. However, as the fraud was uncovered, the coin’s value plunged by more than 96%, leaving it with a market capitalization of less than $60,000. 

Dean Norris explained in a subsequent statement that he does not have a Telegram account and rarely uses X. ‘I didn’t know I was hacked until friends started texting me about it’, he said. 

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This hijacking isn’t something that happened for the first time. Norris previously fell into bitcoin schemes and his account was hacked. In November, cybersecurity expert ZachXBT connected a former Fortnite player’s cryptocurrency project to a number of high-profile account takeovers, including those of McDonald’s. Usher, and Dean Norris. 

The hacking of Dean Norris’ account is part of a bigger pattern of using celebrity personas to conduct cryptocurrency frauds. Former US President Donald Trump recently made headlines for launching a new meme coin on January 18, which sparked a trading buzz and increased its market capitalization to roughly $9 billion in hours. 

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This hacking incident tells about the increasing sophistication of online scams and the significance of digital security, particularly for public figures. It also highlights the importance of social media users remaining vigilant when seeing Bitcoin ads, particularly the ads that feature a celebrity or influencer. As the internet expands, incidents like these serve as a harsh reminder of the dangers that lurk in the digital world, and the pressing need to examine what we see on our screens.