Share article

GM to everyone who still falls for "breaking war intel" threads posted by accounts that also somehow have a meme coin link in bio.
Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT said on Sunday he had identified an X account operating under the name "Rashid bin Saeed" as a fabricated persona built to farm engagement with scary geopolitical content and then funnel attention into crypto scam flows, including classic pump-and-dump style plays. [1] [2]
Polymarket 5 Cent Contract Debunks Netanyahu Death Hoax

Enjoy articles without ads?

Register for free and get unlimited access to all articles.

The bait: viral "Iran strike targets" content

The account went viral after posting a thread claiming Iran had published a list of civilian infrastructure targets it would strike if the United States attacked its power grid. The post named 12 facilities across six countries, ranging from desalination plants to nuclear and power sites. ZachXBT's allegation is straightforward: the "war alert" content is not the product, it's the audience acquisition strategy. [3]

That approach is painfully optimized for CT (Crypto Twitter): fear spikes engagement, engagement grows followers, and followers become liquidity.

The red flags ZachXBT highlighted

ZachXBT pointed to signals that the persona is likely manufactured rather than a credible source:

  • The X account reportedly sits at roughly 353,000 followers, a scale that can make misinformation look "validated" by sheer reach.
  • It shows as based in the US, despite presenting an identity intended to read as regionally plugged-in.
  • The account has only been verified since February 2026, and has had three username changes since January 2025, a pattern often seen with accounts that pivot narratives, recycle audiences, or launder reputation.

None of these traits prove a scam by themselves, but together they fit a familiar playbook: build a "news" brand quickly, then redirect that attention toward monetizable communities and tokens. [4]

Hong Kong Retiree Loses $840K to Fake Crypto Experts

Where the attention goes: Telegram shills and a microcap coin

A possibly related Telegram presence has been promoting the meme coin Chibification$0.00000646, including posts riding Elon Musk-adjacent engagement. CoinGecko data cited in the source shows CHIBI at a market cap around $3.9 million, down more than 23% over 24 hours. [5] That kind of thin-liquidity microcap setup is exactly where hype cycles and coordinated calls can do the most damage to late buyers.

Hawk Tuah Memecoin Crash: Hailey Welch Says Traumatized

Why this hits harder right now

The timing is not random. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index was sitting at 8 (extreme fear), according to Alternative.me. When markets are scared, traders get jumpy, timelines get doom-scrolly, and "urgent" narratives convert better, whether the CTA is "retweet for safety" or "ape this ticker." [3]

What to watch next (and how not to be exit liquidity)

  • Treat geopolitical "intel" accounts as untrusted by default, especially if they also run Telegram channels, promote tokens, or push contract addresses.
  • Check username history, verification timing, and cross-platform links before you let an account become your breaking-news dopamine dealer.
  • If a "war alert" thread is followed by a "community launch" pitch, assume attention is being harvested for a trade, not a public service.
Catalysts to monitor: whether X takes action on the account, whether additional linked wallets or admins get surfaced, and whether Chibification$0.00000646 or similar microcaps see coordinated spikes that match the attention cycle ZachXBT described.

Tags

#social engineering#X (Twitter)#Crypto Twitter#crypto scams#ZachXBT#pump and dump#misinformation#Fake persona#Geopolitical fear