On-chain sleuth ZachXBT has uncovered a coordinated network on X that weaponized war-related and political posts to funnel users into crypto scams, warning the tactic is both effective and profitable.
According to his thread, the operators purchased existing accounts with followers and began flooding X with repeated, alarm-driven updates about the ongoing Middle East conflict and other political events. Those emotionally charged posts were designed to attract quick reactions and replies from users following fast-moving news—what ZachXBT calls engagement farming tied to fraud.
How the scam worked, step by step:
- Operators posted alarming or negative updates multiple times daily to grab attention.
- Linked accounts repeatedly reposted the same messages to boost visibility and create a sense of momentum.
- Once reach was established, the operators pivoted to promote fake giveaways or direct crypto offers.
- After campaigns ran their course, accounts frequently changed usernames to obscure their histories and evade detection, allowing the scheme to be recycled across topics and audiences.
ZachXBT flagged that some large, legitimate X accounts interacted with the posts unaware of the underlying scheme, amplifying the content further. He emphasized the role of social engineering: people react faster to negative war-related content, which helps push posts higher in feeds and places scam promotions in front of more users.
The investigator traced a monitored cluster of more than 10 accounts—10 of which pushed pump-and-dump crypto schemes—and linked the activity to real on-chain proceeds. “On-chain evidence suggests the scheme profited six figures,” he wrote, stressing that this was organized manipulation rather than random spam. He also warned that “it’s scary to think about” how easily the method could scale and urged stronger platform enforcement and legal action.
What this means for users: remain skeptical of emotionally charged posts that suddenly pivot to crypto offers or giveaways, verify account histories, and avoid engaging with promotions from unverified sources. ZachXBT’s findings underline how political fear and fast-moving news cycles can be exploited for financial fraud—and why platforms must act to stop coordinated manipulation.
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