X Exposes Crypto Scammer Bribery Network Targeting Platform Employees

In a concerning revelation that underscores the evolving sophistication of crypto-related cybercrime, social media platform X announced on Friday that it has uncovered and is taking legal action against a bribery network orchestrated by crypto scammers and malicious actors who attempted to corrupt its employees to reinstate suspended accounts.

The Scheme Unveiled

The bribery network targeted X employees with the specific goal of having suspended accounts reinstated, according to the platform's official statement. The scheme involved suspended users linked to crypto scams who paid intermediaries—referred to as "middlemen"—to approach X employees with bribery offers in exchange for account restoration services.

X's Global Government Affairs account disclosed the revelation in a statement that read: "X has exposed and is taking strong action against a bribery network targeting our platform. Suspended accounts involved in crypto scams and platform manipulation paid middlemen to attempt to bribe employees to reinstate their suspended accounts."

The discovery represents a significant escalation in the tactics employed by crypto scammers, moving beyond traditional social engineering and technical attacks to direct corruption attempts targeting platform infrastructure and personnel.

Multi-Platform Criminal Network

The investigation revealed that the bribery network extends far beyond X, representing a sophisticated criminal operation that exploits multiple social media platforms. These perpetrators exploit social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Minecraft, and Roblox to scam unsuspecting users, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of modern crypto fraud operations.

This multi-platform approach allows scammers to cast a wider net for potential victims while creating redundancies that make their operations more resilient to individual platform enforcement actions. The targeting of gaming platforms like Minecraft and Roblox is particularly concerning given their predominantly young user base, making them vulnerable to sophisticated financial fraud schemes.

Connection to "The Com" Criminal Organization

Perhaps most alarming is X's revelation that the bribery network has connections to known criminal organizations, specifically mentioning "The Com." The Com, also known as The Comm or The Community, is an international online network made of multiple cybercriminal networks that operate in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The network has committed various cybercrimes that included cryptocurrency theft, violence incitement and swatting, while Com actors use tools such as: remote access trojans, phishing kits, voice over internet protocol (VOIP) providers, voice modulators, virtual private networks (VPNs), spoofing technology, cryptocurrency cash out services, live streaming services, and encrypted email domains to facilitate their criminal activity and conceal their true identities.

The FBI has previously warned about The Com, noting that this grouping of online cybercriminals as highly skilled in social engineering, particularly because they count among their members a large number of native English speakers who are adept at calling IT help desks and convincing technicians to hand over corporate credentials.

Legal Action and Law Enforcement Cooperation

X has announced that it is pursuing comprehensive legal action against the participants in this bribery scheme. The platform confirmed that legal proceedings are underway and emphasized its full cooperation with law enforcement agencies to ensure criminal prosecution of the perpetrators.

This legal response demonstrates X's commitment to protecting platform integrity and sends a clear message to potential bad actors that corruption attempts will face serious consequences. The involvement of law enforcement also suggests that the scope of the investigation may extend beyond civil litigation to include criminal charges.

Historical Context of Social Media Crypto Fraud

This bribery scheme represents the latest evolution in a long history of crypto-related fraud on social media platforms. The incident recalls previous high-profile attacks that have plagued X and its predecessor platform, Twitter.

Hackers hijacked accounts of people and companies, including former President Barack Obama, Apple, Uber, and Kanye West, using them to post messages that urged people to send money to a Bitcoin account during a major 2020 incident. More recently, Scammers last year infiltrated several high-profile accounts to promote a Solana-based meme token. Among the victims were Lenovo's division in India, the film director Oliver Stone, and the Brazilian soccer player Neymar Jr.

The platform has also experienced numerous instances of account compromises used to promote fraudulent cryptocurrencies. In June 2024, hackers compromised the X account of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to promote a fraudulent token. Similar incidents have affected crypto platforms like ZKSync, Curve Finance, and Jupiter.

In April 2024, crypto fraudsters seized control of a UK lawmaker's X account to promote a fake Solana token, while actor Dean Norris reported that scammers had taken over his X account to promote an $8 million memecoin scam.

The Broader Crypto Crime Landscape

This bribery revelation comes against the backdrop of significant crypto-related criminal activity in 2024. Illicit crypto activity in 2024 remained huge, with $40.9 billion worth of funds flowing to addresses identified as criminal, as per on-chain analytics platform Chainalysis, though this figure is considered a conservative estimate as more illicit wallets are continuously being identified.

The attempted bribery of platform employees represents a concerning evolution in crypto crime tactics, moving from purely technical attacks to human-centered corruption schemes. This shift suggests that as technical security measures improve, criminals are increasingly turning to social engineering and corruption to achieve their objectives.

Platform Security Implications

The discovery of this bribery network raises important questions about the security of social media platforms and the integrity of their content moderation processes. The fact that criminals believed they could successfully bribe employees suggests either existing vulnerabilities in internal controls or successful past experiences with similar corruption attempts.

For platform users, this incident underscores the importance of remaining vigilant about crypto-related content on social media, regardless of apparent official endorsements or account verification status. The sophistication of these criminal networks means that even seemingly legitimate accounts may be compromised or fraudulently operated.

Moving Forward

X's proactive disclosure of this bribery network and its commitment to legal action represent a positive step in combating crypto fraud on social media platforms. However, the incident also highlights the need for enhanced internal security measures, employee training, and cross-platform cooperation to address the evolving threat landscape.

The connection to The Com criminal organization suggests that this may be part of a broader pattern of attacks targeting multiple platforms and services. As such, the crypto industry and social media platforms will need to develop more robust defense mechanisms that account for both technical attacks and human-centered corruption attempts.

The case serves as a reminder that the fight against crypto fraud requires a multi-faceted approach involving technical security measures, employee integrity programs, legal action, and law enforcement cooperation. Only through such comprehensive efforts can platforms hope to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated criminal organizations that continue to evolve their tactics in pursuit of illicit gains.

As legal proceedings continue and the investigation unfolds, this case will likely serve as an important precedent for how platforms and law enforcement agencies cooperate to address the growing threat of crypto-related cybercrime in the social media age.