The official X (formerly Twitter) account of British Member of Parliament Bob Seely was compromised and used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency called “House of Commons Coin,” raising fresh concerns over cybersecurity breaches targeting public figures.
The breach occurred on April 15, when Seely’s verified account suddenly began posting promotional content for the scam token, urging followers to buy in and sharing links to a token launch page. The posts included hashtags like #HOCCOIN and #HouseofCommonsCoin, and falsely implied that the MP was endorsing the cryptocurrency.
The messages were quickly flagged by users, with many pointing out the suspicious nature of the posts and warning others of a likely scam. The account was later locked and the unauthorized posts removed.
Neither Seely nor his office has issued an official statement, but sources close to the matter confirmed the MP was not involved in the promotion and that the account was taken over without authorization.
This incident highlights a growing trend of crypto scammers hijacking high-profile social media accounts to pump and promote fraudulent tokens. Similar attacks have targeted celebrities, government officials, and corporate accounts in recent months.
Cybersecurity experts have urged public figures to bolster their digital protections, including enabling two-factor authentication and conducting regular security audits. The House of Commons has not yet commented on whether an investigation into the breach is underway.
