In a bold cyberattack, hackers hijacked official Walt Disney Instagram account on October 1, 2025, to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency dubbed “Disney Solana.”
The scam, which cybersecurity experts label a classic “rug pull,” deceived fans into purchasing a fake token, resulting in an estimated $50,000 in losses. The incident has sparked widespread discussion and raised concerns about social media security for major brands.
How the Disney Solana Scam Unfolded
On Tuesday morning, followers of Disney’s verified Instagram accounts, including those tied to Disney Parks, noticed unusual posts promoting a new cryptocurrency called “Disney Solana” (likely using the ticker $DIS on the Solana blockchain).
The posts featured a polished Disney-themed logo and instructions to buy the token through Solana wallets, falsely claiming it was an official Disney venture. Excited fans, trusting the brand’s credibility, rushed to invest.
According to a Reddit user, u/Lulu_1108, on the r/Disneyland subreddit, the token’s market cap surged to approximately $60,000 within minutes before scammers executed a rapid sell-off, crashing its value to $7,000.
“It was chaos,” u/Lulu_1108 wrote. “People thought this was Disney’s big crypto move, but it tanked so fast, and the posts vanished.”
Critical Evidence Captured
The scam might have gone undocumented without the quick actions of Nikki Thompson, an X user known as @ImaginativeArt.
Thompson captured a screenshot of the fraudulent Instagram post before Disney deleted it, sharing it in a now-deleted X post that sparked immediate attention.
“I couldn’t believe it was real until I saw the logo and wallet links,” Thompson told Inside the Magic. “I knew I had to save it before it disappeared.”
Her screenshot, showing the fake Disney Solana branding and purchase instructions, became a cornerstone for subsequent reports. The post was quoted across X and referenced in articles, preserving evidence of the hack’s sophistication.
Disney’s Response and Victim Impact
Disney swiftly removed the fraudulent posts and issued a statement confirming the breach. “We are investigating this unauthorized activity and taking steps to secure our accounts,” a Disney spokesperson told Disney Dining.
The company urged fans to verify announcements through official channels like Disney.com and avoid unverified crypto offers.Victims, however, were left reeling. Some reported losses ranging from $500 to $3,000, with one anonymous fan telling Disney Dining, “I thought Disney was innovating with blockchain. I lost $1,200 in minutes.”
The scam’s speed—executed and erased within hours—left little time for recourse. As of October 2, no arrests have been reported, and the hackers’ identities remain unknown.
A Growing Trend in Crypto Scams
The Disney Solana scam fits a broader pattern of cybercriminals targeting fandoms.
“Scammers exploit emotional connections to trusted brands,” Dr. Chen explained. “Disney’s global fanbase was an ideal target for a quick rug pull.”
Similar scams have hit other high-profile brands, with hackers using compromised social media to promote fake tokens or NFTs.Data from Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, shows a 65% rise in social media-driven crypto scams in 2025, with losses exceeding $3 billion globally. The Disney incident underscores the need for vigilance, especially as cryptocurrencies gain mainstream traction.
Protecting Against Future Scams
Experts recommend several precautions to avoid falling victim to similar schemes:
- Verify announcements through a brand’s official website, not social media.
- Use hardware wallets for cryptocurrency transactions to enhance security.
- Be wary of urgent or “exclusive” investment offers, a common scam tactic.
Disney has not announced plans to enter the cryptocurrency space, and fans are urged to report suspicious posts immediately.