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On January 25, 2025, Dean Norris, best known for his role in Breaking Bad, became the victim of a sophisticated crypto scam. Hackers gained access to his X account and used it to promote a meme coin called $DEAN, created in his likeness. The scammers exploited Norris' celebrity status in a classic pump-and-dump scheme, misleading his followers into believing the actor had launched his own cryptocurrency.
One of the most believable hackings/scams I’ve seen on here. They had a follow up tweet ready with a photoshopped notepad to “validate” it, had a cameo purchased of Dean Norris saying “Hey it’s me, Dean, it’s January 25th, I’m declaring, it’s real” https://t.co/dz5RYbh2U0 pic.twitter.com/BGF1xvtCls
— Tyler (@CowboysIn4) January 26, 2025
The hackers used a doctored image of Norris holding a notepad with "$DEAN" and the coin’s launch date, further manipulating the situation by posting the image on his social media profiles. The fraudulent promotion was designed to make it appear as though Norris was actively endorsing the token, creating the illusion of legitimacy. When asked for more proof, the hackers went a step further by posting a video featuring someone who appeared to be Norris. In the five-second clip, the actor allegedly confirmed the launch of $DEAN on January 25, saying, "Hey, it’s me Dean, and uh… January 25th, I’m declaring it’s real."
However, the situation took a turn the following day. On January 26, Norris took to his real X account to inform his followers that his account had indeed been hacked. In a video posted to his profile, Norris clarified that the entire promotion of the $DEAN token was part of a scam. He expressed disbelief over the incident, thanking the platform for helping him regain access to his account. “This is Dean Norris actually, and that whole crazy crypto sh*t was a complete fake scam. I was hacked and I don’t know, I just got it back,” said Norris, urging his followers to ignore the deceptive posts. Despite the clarification, the damage caused by the scam had already taken its toll.
According to data from DEX Screener, the fraudulent promotion of the $DEAN token had resulted in a market capitalization as high as $8.4 million on January 25. However, after Norris’ video debunking the scam was shared, the token’s market cap plummeted. As of the latest data, $DEAN’s market cap has dropped dramatically to just $57,000, with its value decreasing by nearly 76% in the past 24 hours.
The token, which is based on the Solana blockchain, has been trading at $0.0456, with the trading volume standing at $263,000 and liquidity of $46,000. The market response has been overwhelmingly negative, with a majority of sell orders flooding in and only a handful of buy orders appearing in the past hour. The token’s value has stagnated over the last 12 hours, further illustrating the collapse of the pump-and-dump scheme.
In addition to clarifying the hack on his X account, Norris took to Reddit to address accusations from some users who claimed he had orchestrated the scheme to profit from the token’s rise. Norris refuted these claims, suggesting that the real perpetrators were the individuals behind the manipulation. “I clicked on a couple accounts accusing me of lying and looks like THEY were the people pumping it up!!” Norris remarked, adding that he does not own a Telegram account and rarely uses his X account.
This incident highlights the growing risks associated with cryptocurrency scams, particularly when high-profile individuals are targeted. Hackers are increasingly exploiting the celebrity status of public figures to promote fraudulent schemes, knowing that their influence can sway the decisions of many followers. For Norris, the experience has been a wake-up call, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity in the digital age.
The $DEAN pump-and-dump scam serves as a stark reminder for cryptocurrency investors to be vigilant and cautious, especially when promotional material appears too good to be true. Despite the loss of confidence in $DEAN, the incident has once again drawn attention to the prevalence of scams in the crypto world, urging both celebrities and their followers to stay alert to potential threats.
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Brenda has been a news writer since 2019 with a deep background in crypto. Brenda commits to producing excellent, well-optimized content to ensure consumer satisfaction.
