The verified Twitter account belonging to media personality and Euro Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff may have been hacked to shill the supposed launch of a new cryptocurrency.
Peter Schiff’s son, Spencer, an avid bitcoiner and technology enthusiast, raised the alarm regarding the integrity of a post published on his father’s Twitter account on June 3.
The tweet claimed the renowned stockbroker and financial commentator was due to launch a new crypto token called GOLD.
This is why I am delighted to unveil the official launch of $GOLD, a groundbreaking cryptocurrency token poised to empower the #Web3 community, bridging the worlds of physical and digital currency.Claim your $GOLD here: https://t.co/pj2vetpMP2 https://t.co/PiyPeAFeaC
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) June 3, 2023
Spencer warned people not to click on the link provided in his father’s purported tweet, claiming the senior Schiff was in London, where it had been 4 a.m. when the tweet was posted.
He also added that his texts to his father following the tweet posting had all gone unanswered, causing him to suspect his father’s account had been hacked.
DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK. My dad is in London and it's 4 AM over there which means he was almost certainly hacked. He's not responding to any of my texts. https://t.co/sHvQccCtLp
— Spencer Schiff (@SpencerKSchiff) June 3, 2023
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Schiff is widely known for his strong support for gold within the financial system and his vocal opposition to the exaggerated enthusiasm surrounding digital assets. It has positioned him as a direct adversary of bitcoin enthusiasts, especially on online platforms.
The reaction from the crypto community has been diverse, eliciting a spectrum of feelings from bewilderment to entertainment and even endorsement, particularly among supporters of alternative cryptocurrencies.
A few individuals have seized the moment to underscore the seeming contradiction in Schiff’s behavior, considering his enduring disdain for digital assets.
https://twitter.com/PeterMcCormack/status/1664906740972900354?s=20
The financial commentator’s Twitter account was still promoting the GOLD token at the time of writing, claiming it was almost sold out with 66% of the supply taken.
The account also made a seemingly tongue-in-cheek post that GOLD was “taking over the Twitter scene,” probably in response to the reaction on the social media platform to Spencer Schiff’s tweet about his father’s account being hacked.
The hack comes only days after Schiff shocked the crypto community by launching a collaborative NFT collection on Bitcoin.
However, the long-time bitcoin critic dispelled any suggestion that his involvement with Ordinals had altered his perspective on bitcoin, claiming the NFTs were an homage to gold.
Read more: Web3 hacks declined in May despite a $19.7m loss
