Hijacked Garda @GardaInfo X account renamed @HelpXaman pushes fake Xaman XRP 'allocation' posts
Hackers hijacked An Garda Síochána's @GardaInfo X account, renamed it @HelpXaman and used it to post fake Xaman XRP 'allocation' offers; Gardaí warned the public not to interact.
- First reported
- Reports
- 1
Source: independent.ie · published
What happened
The Irish Independent reported on October 15, 2026 that An Garda Síochána confirmed its official @GardaInfo and @GardaTraffic X accounts had been hacked. From around 11pm on Wednesday, October 14, both accounts changed their information and shared hundreds of posts tagging individual users and promoting a cryptocurrency app claiming to offer them an 'allocation' of XRP. Both accounts had their location changed to Amsterdam, and @GardaInfo had its handle changed to @HelpXaman, with its profile picture and banner replaced by branding imitating the Xaman XRP wallet app. In a statement dated 15 October 2026, Gardaí said the unauthorised access occurred on the X platform only and that no Garda systems or data were affected, and warned the public not to interact with any content posted on the accounts or on accounts purporting to be them. The accounts belong to the police and were taken over; the Xaman brand is being impersonated, and Xaman has said it does not run airdrops. The scam is the fake XRP 'allocation' content posted through the hijacked accounts.
How the scam works
Hijacked official accounts are used because their followers and verified status make the posts look trustworthy. Here the posts tagged individual users and promoted an 'allocation' of XRP through an app branded to look like the Xaman wallet.
Fake crypto 'allocations' and airdrops usually lead to a site that asks people to connect a wallet, approve a transaction or enter a recovery phrase, which lets the scammers drain the wallet. Note: the Irish Independent article does not describe the destination of the posts; this sentence describes the general pattern.
Source
Irish Independent report on the hacking of the official Garda X accounts (October 15, 2026).
Red flags
- Crypto giveaways or 'allocations' posted by a police, government or brand account.
- An official account whose handle, location or profile picture suddenly changes.
- Posts tagging you with a link to claim tokens.
If you were targeted
- 1Don't interact with posts from the hijacked accounts or accounts claiming to be them.
- 2Never connect a wallet, sign a transaction or enter a recovery phrase to claim an airdrop.
- 3If you connected a wallet, revoke approvals and move funds to a new wallet; report losses to the Gardaí or your local police.