In a bold cyberattack, cryptocurrency scammers seized control of UK Member of Parliament Lucy Powell’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account on April 15 to promote a fake Solana-based token dubbed the House of Commons Coin (HOC).
Using Powell’s position as Leader of the House of Commons, the attackers posted promotional messages branding HOC as “a community-driven digital currency,” urging Powell’s followers to buy the token through misleading links.
Powell’s Team Confirms the Breach and Removes Scam Posts
A staff member from Powell’s office swiftly confirmed to the BBC that her account had been compromised. They acted quickly to regain control, lock down the account, and delete the fraudulent content.
Despite the scammers’ attempts to stir up investor interest, the token’s impact was minimal. Data from DEX Screener shows that HOC peaked with a market cap of just over $24,000, logged 736 transactions, and accumulated a trading volume of roughly $71,000. By press time, the token’s market cap had plunged to around $3,800.
Politicians Keep Getting Dragged Into Crypto Chaos—Sometimes Willingly, Sometimes Not
Lucy Powell has no record of endorsing cryptocurrency. However, she joins a growing list of global political figures whose accounts have been linked to suspicious crypto tokens by force or choice.
- Just last month, hackers hijacked Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama’s X account to promote a scam coin called Solanafrica.
- In January, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lost control of its X account after it posted promos for CUBA. This token briefly spiked to a $30 million market cap before crashing.
- In the U.S., entrepreneur and political figure Vivek Ramaswamy also saw his account misused in a fake announcement about a government-backed stablecoin called USUAL.
Read Also: XRP’s Relevance Under Fire as RLUSD Gains Momentum: Is Autobridging Enough to Keep It Afloat?
Argentina’s President Also Caught in Token Scandal
One of the most dramatic cases happened in Argentina. On February 14, President Javier Milei briefly promoted a token called LIBRA through his verified X account. The result? LIBRA’s price exploded by over 3,000%, only to nosedive by 90% once Milei deleted the tweet and denied any real involvement.
Investigations later revealed that Kelsier Ventures and other insiders may have manipulated the launch. They allegedly pocketed over $110 million by controlling access and liquidity, leaving retail investors in the dust.
Crypto Scams Go Political—And They’re Getting Bolder
The recent wave of account takeovers targeting politicians isn’t just about chasing hype. These attacks weaponise public trust, hijack verified credibility, and fuel the volatile pump-and-dump machine plaguing DeFi ecosystems.
As the lines blur between politics and crypto, users must remain cautious. Just because a token shows up on a verified account doesn’t make it legit—and as history shows, the fallout often hits regular investors the hardest.
