South African Parliament’s Social Media Accounts Hacked to Promote Fake Crypto Token

In a shocking cybersecurity breach, the South African Parliament’s official social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube were hijacked by hackers to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency named after President Cyril Ramaphosa. The incident, which occurred on March 15, has raised concerns about the vulnerability of high-profile institutions to cyberattacks in the digital age.

The hackers promoted a Solana-based memecoin, created just 24 hours before the breach, using the name “Ramaphosa.” The token was reportedly generated on Pump.fun, a platform known for facilitating the creation of memecoins. Additionally, the cybercriminals created another token named “ParliamentofRSA” (RSATOKEN) during the attack.

Moloto Mothapo, a spokesperson for the South African Parliament, confirmed the breach, stating that it affected one of the institution’s 25 YouTube streaming channels. “Parliament has identified a security breach affecting one of its 25 YouTube streaming services, which is integrated with official social media accounts. This breach resulted in the unauthorized upload of content not aligned with the work of the institution,” Mothapo said.

The parliament’s digital team swiftly terminated the compromised stream and launched an investigation to determine the source of the breach. However, the incident has already caused significant reputational damage and raised questions about the security measures in place to protect official government accounts.

This is not the first time African institutions or individuals with large social media followings have been targeted by cybercriminals. In February, Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that its social media accounts were hacked to promote a fake cryptocurrency. Similarly, Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji revealed that his X account was compromised, leading to the theft of over $1.4 million from unsuspecting users.

While the exact amount of funds stolen in the South African Parliament breach remains unclear, reports suggest that the hackers attempted to cash out the fraudulent tokens. The incident underscores the growing trend of cybercriminals exploiting social media platforms to promote crypto scams, often targeting accounts with substantial followings to maximize their reach.

The breach has also highlighted the need for stronger cybersecurity protocols, particularly for government institutions. As cryptocurrencies continue to gain popularity, the risk of such attacks is likely to increase, making it imperative for organizations to adopt robust security measures to safeguard their digital assets and public trust.

The South African Parliament has assured the public that it is taking steps to prevent future breaches, but the incident serves as a stark reminder of the evolving threats in the digital landscape. For now, citizens are urged to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with suspicious crypto promotions, even if they appear to come from trusted sources.