The Day of the Hack
March 10, 2022, was supposed to be Jeff Passan’s moment in the sun. He had just broken a significant story about a landmark agreement between MLB and the Players Association concerning the international draft. Instead, it turned into the day his Twitter account was hijacked, promoting a nonfungible token (NFT) giveaway. Talk about a plot twist!
What Happened?
As Passan was shaping the news with one massive report, his Twitter account transformed into an NFT spokesperson! His username morphed into Jeff.eth, he flaunted NFT artwork as his profile picture, and his bio read like a shopping list of everything except baseball: NFT Enthusiast, MLB Insider, Father, Husband, Mod for @skulltoonsNFT… Sure, Jeff, because that’s exactly how we picture you!
Scamming Schenanigans
As the hacker went to work, tweets promoting the Skulltoons NFT project flooded Passan’s followers’ timelines. The messages urged fans to click on a suspicious link for a chance to win one of 20 presale spots for an NFT drop. It was as if a baseball legend suddenly decided to become an NFT dealer. Spoiler alert: he didn’t!
The Response
As chaos reigned over at Passan’s profile, the Skulltoons team quickly distanced themselves from the scheme, making it clear they had zero affiliation with the hack. “Looks like Jeff Passan got hacked by someone trying to scam our community,” they tweeted, warning their followers to stay vigilant about possible scams. Thanks for the heads-up, but does anyone ever think, ‘maybe I shouldn’t click that link’?
The Quick Recovery
Fortunately, ESPN was quick to respond. Within just two hours, Passan got his Twitter account back. In a comeback moment that would make Michael Jordan proud, Passan changed his background image to a simple white screen that read “I’m back.” Alas, compared to MJ’s return, this one didn’t quite have the same flair. Maybe next time, Jeff?
Lessons Learned
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how hackers are constantly on the prowl, hoping to pounce on unsuspecting individuals, especially those with a considerable following. Remember, folks, if you see something that looks fishy—like a sports reporter promoting NFTs—proceed with caution! Stay alert, don’t get caught in the scam net. After all, no one wants their Twitter to become a circus, let alone on a day meant for breaking significant sports news!
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