NASCAR’s social media accounts were hacked, marking another incident in a series of cyberattacks on sports organizations. This breach followed closely after a security incident during the Ambetter Health 400 race, where hackers gained access to official race radios. In the social media attack, scammers posted a fraudulent announcement for a digital asset called “$NASCAR Token” on the official NASCAR accounts, claiming it was the official digital asset of motorsports, built on the Solana blockchain. The post promised faster transactions, enhanced fan engagement, and exclusive experiences, but NASCAR acted swiftly to remove the post once it was discovered.
Despite NASCAR’s prompt response, the post garnered attention from fans who immediately flagged it as suspicious.
Many noted that the announcement appeared to lack the usual professionalism of NASCAR communications, with particular focus on the phrase “official digital asset of motorsports,” which was seen as odd and not in line with how the organization typically brands itself. Additionally, the contract address used in the post raised further doubts. Fans on social media were quick to point out that the terminology and style of the release seemed uncharacteristic of NASCAR’s usual marketing practices, suggesting that it was a clear case of a hack.
The attack on NASCAR was part of a broader wave of similar incidents affecting major sports organizations on the same day.
The NBA also fell victim to a similar scam, where hackers posted a fraudulent announcement about the launch of “NBA Coin,” another digital asset associated with cryptocurrency. The NBA’s fake announcement promised benefits like faster transactions and stronger security, echoing the language used in the NASCAR scam. Both incidents took place on the same day, highlighting the vulnerability of social media platforms to cryptocurrency-related scams and the growing trend of cybercriminals targeting high-profile sports accounts.
While the identity of the hacker or group responsible for the breaches remains unclear, the attacks have raised significant concerns about the security of social media accounts used by major sports organizations. Fans of NASCAR and the NBA were able to quickly recognize the fraudulent posts, which may have limited the scam’s impact. Nevertheless, both organizations are likely to review and strengthen their social media security protocols to prevent similar breaches in the future, especially as cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology continue to attract increasing attention from both legitimate and malicious parties.
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