SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 18: Sydney Sweeney attends the 2024 People's Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on February 18, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Sydney Sweeney fell victim to a cyber attack earlier this, with hackers compromising both her social media presence and personal phone number.
Technology news outlet 404 Media obtained evidence suggesting that Sweeney’s Verizon Wireless account was tampered with on the same day her X (formerly Twitter) account was hijacked. The outlet published an image of a Verizon receipt dated July 2, which detailed changes made to an account under Sweeney’s name.
Verizon spokesperson Richard Young stated that while he couldn’t discuss specific customer situations, the company takes privacy and security seriously. “When an issue is brought to our attention, we work quickly to investigate and remediate the issue, and work to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Young told 404 Media.
The attack on Sweeney’s X account involved the posting of unauthorized messages promoting a cryptocurrency scheme. The hackers used Sweeney’s platform, which boasts over 1 million followers, to push a newly created meme coin called “$sweeney” on the Pump.fun platform. They also falsely claimed that Sweeney would be hosting a live discussion about the cryptocurrency.
Sweeney, known for her roles in Euphoria and Anyone But You, quickly regained control of her account and removed all traces of the fraudulent posts. Her X profile currently shows no activity related to the incident, with her last genuine post dating back to May.
This incident highlights a growing trend of cybercriminals targeting high-profile celebrities in the entertainment industry. Other recent victims of similar attacks include rappers 50 Cent, Doja Cat and Rich the Kid, as well as former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
Sweeney was recently in the news after reports liked her to Anything But You costar Glen Powell.
Xavier Worthy, a star receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, was arrested Friday night on…
Australian pop star Kylie Minogue is heading to North America for her world tour dates.…
Bodycam footage from a Jasper County, Indiana, Sheriff's Office deputy released online shows the Jan. 6…
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp has provided an update on her health…
Authorities have announced that Oscar-winner actor Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa,…
With just six dates, Clapton’s tour will kick off in Nashville on September 8 and…