Someone decided to catch ’em all, and by “all” they meant unsuspecting crypto buyers. The official @Pokemon account on X was briefly compromised on August 27, with hackers using the platform to shill a fake memecoin called $POKEMON to the account’s more than 8 million followers.
The unauthorized posts ran for roughly 30 minutes before The Pokémon Company regained control, scrubbed the fraudulent content, and issued a statement making clear it has zero affiliation with any crypto project or token.
What happened
The attackers timed the hack to coincide with Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebrations, a detail that made the scam posts look at least superficially plausible. The fraudulent tweets promoted $POKEMON as an official cryptocurrency tied to the anniversary, complete with a contract address and a link designed to mimic the legitimate anniversary website.
The Pokémon Company moved quickly to contain the damage. After regaining access, the company removed all unauthorized posts and published a statement apologizing for the confusion while unequivocally distancing itself from any cryptocurrency ventures.
A pattern that refuses to die
What makes the Pokémon hack particularly effective from the scammer’s perspective is the timing. The franchise’s 30th anniversary is a legitimate milestone that fans are already paying attention to. The hack also reportedly coincided with the broader window around the Pokémon World Championships, another high-visibility moment for the brand.
The trust problem cuts both ways
The Pokémon Company’s audience skews younger and broader than the typical crypto-native crowd. Many of those 8 million followers are casual fans, not people who would instinctively recognize a contract address as a red flag.
The Pokémon Company’s swift and categorical denial, stating that it has no affiliation with any crypto projects or tokens whatsoever, also serves as a broader signal. Major entertainment franchises remain deeply wary of the digital asset space, and incidents like this only widen the gap between crypto and mainstream brand adoption.
For anyone who encountered the posts before they were removed, the standard advice applies with extra urgency: never interact with contract addresses posted by accounts that don’t normally discuss crypto, regardless of how trusted the account is. If a brand with 30 years of history suddenly announces a token with no prior buildup, press releases, or coverage from credible outlets, the answer is almost certainly that the account has been compromised.