UK Lawmaker’s X Account Hacked to Promote Scam ‘House of Commons Coin’

UK Lawmaker’s X Account Hacked to Promote Scam ‘House of Commons Coin’

The official X (formerly Twitter) account of UK Member of Parliament Lucy Powell, who also serves as the Leader of the House of Commons, was compromised on April 15 and used to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency called the House of Commons Coin (HOC).

A series of unauthorized posts described the token as a “community-driven digital currency,” linking to a decentralized exchange where it was being traded. The posts were quickly deleted after Powell’s team regained control of the account. A staff member confirmed to the BBC that the account had been hacked and stated, “Steps were taken quickly to secure the account and remove misleading posts.”

Scam Token Saw Little Success

Despite the high-profile hijack, the scam failed to gain significant traction. According to blockchain analytics platform DEX Screener, the HOC token peaked at a modest market capitalization of just over $24,000, with only 736 transactions and a trading volume of around $71,000.

Source: Daniel Green

The low level of engagement suggests the community recognized the token as a scam relatively quickly, minimizing potential losses.

Politicians and Crypto: A Risky Mix

While Lucy Powell has no history of promoting cryptocurrencies, the incident comes amid a growing number of politicians becoming unwitting—or in some cases, willing—participants in the crypto space.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both launched and promoted memecoins shortly before their time in the White House, drawing scrutiny and criticism. In Argentina, President Javier Milei was linked to the now-defunct LIBRA token, which crashed soon after its launch and sparked calls for a formal investigation into his involvement.

Part of a Broader Trend of High-Profile Hacks

Powell's incident follows a similar attack in March on Ghanaian President John Mahama’s X account. His profile, which has 2.4 million followers, was taken over for two days to promote a fake cryptocurrency called Solanafrica. The posts falsely claimed the token was backed by Solana and the Bank of Ghana and aimed to “make payments fast and free across the continent.”

The Ghanaian president’s X account was hacked in March 2025. Source: CrediRates 

President Mahama's team eventually regained control of the account, with his spokesperson urging the public to ignore any cryptocurrency-related content from the handle moving forward.

Cybersecurity Concerns in Political Circles

These attacks highlight growing concerns around cybersecurity for public figures, particularly as scammers continue to exploit the popularity of digital assets to conduct fraudulent campaigns. While the financial damage from these scams may be limited, the reputational risks and potential for misinformation remain high.

As the crypto industry continues to evolve, the need for tighter security measures—and digital literacy among public officials—has never been more urgent.