PANews Airdrop Twitter/X Account Hacked

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PANews Logo/Homepage

PANews is a Hong Kong-based Web3 media platform and think tank founded in 2018, with tens of thousands of published articles, known for its in-depth reporting, data insights, and community engagement in the blockchain space. In June 2025, its official X (Twitter) account, @PANewsCN, was hacked and used to promote a phishing scam via a fake domain offering a fraudulent MetaMask wallet "upgrade." Victims were tricked into revealing their seed phrases, likely resulting in stolen assets. The extent of the damage remains unknown, and while the scam posts have been removed, the account has yet to resume normal activity, with no confirmed recovery plan or restitution for affected users.

About PANews

PANews is a Web3-focused media platform and think tank, founded in March 2018. Based in Hong Kong, it was co-founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honorees and is spearheaded by former China News Service journalist Alyssa Tsai. The outlet compiles a diverse array of content—ranging from science explainers and deep-dive analyses to data insights and interviews—to support entrepreneurs and innovators in the blockchain and digital asset sectors. As of early 2023, PANews had published over 41,000 full articles and 115,000 “Flash News” updates from more than 500 contributors, and offers categories such as PAData, PA Reports, and PA Weekly, building an extensive, searchable Web3 knowledge base.

Operating like a modern think-tank, PANews not only publishes content but also builds tools for the Web3 ecosystem. It offers an event calendar, a curated tool directory, and a "Hot Event Plaza," alongside implementing wallet-based one-click Web3 sign‑ins—making it the first Chinese industry media to embrace native blockchain authentication technology. PANews also extends its reach through partnerships and distribution: its content is featured on platforms like Tencent News, and is cited in mainstream outlets (Forbes, Caixin). It has earned recognition from Tencent News, Toutiao, and The Paper, and maintains a cross‑platform presence on Twitter, Weibo, TikTok, Bilibili, WeChat Video Account, Xiaoyuzhou, and JiKe—with over 120,000 subscribers across social channels.

Beyond publishing, PANews serves as an active convenor in the Web3 community. It hosts the annual “PARTY AWARD” (PANews’ Retrospect of The Year), spotlighting top performers in the Web3 space via a selection process combining data evaluation, public voting, and expert panels. Its Twitter Spaces conversations are among the most influential hosted by Chinese Web3 media, offering a live forum for discourse among industry stakeholders. All told, PANews bridges journalism, research, and community-building—positioning itself as a trusted “Web3 Information Officer” for both creators and operators in the blockchain realm.

The Reality

The PANews Twitter/X account was not properly secured.

What Happened

PANews, a leading Web3 media platform, had its official X account hacked in June 2025 and used in a phishing scam targeting users' crypto wallets.

Key Event Timeline - PANews Airdrop Twitter/X Account Hacked

Date	Event	Description
June 26th, 2025 8:08:00 PM MDT	Tongtong Bee Tweet	Tongtong Bee, cofounder and editor in chief Tongtong Bee reports that their Twitter/X account has been hacked, and requests users not to click on any links. Users are requested to spread the word. They appear to be the first person to report the compromised account.
June 26th, 2025 9:42:00 PM MDT	SlowMist Posts Alert	SlowMist posts an alert on Twitter/X which reports that the PANews account has been compromised, and not to click on an suspicious or phishing links.

Technical Details

The PANewsNow domain was registered, which has a similar name to PANews. Visitors were offered a free airdrop, with the hookup of their wallet. However, hooking up the wallet was not really possible. The user would be convinced that their MetaMask wallet was upgrading through a custom screen. Once this was complete, the connection of the wallet would fail. While multiple possible recovery methods were provided, none would work, leaving the user with the alternative of restoring their wallet via the seed phrase. This, of course, would send the seed phrase to the scammers to drain their funds.

Total Amount Lost

Losses are unknown. It is unclear how many users were affected.

The total amount lost is unknown.

Immediate Reactions

Tongtong Bee, the cofounder and editor in chief of PANews, reported that the PANews Twitter/X account was hacked. Various other accounts helped to spread the message.

Ultimate Outcome

The problematic posts have been removed, however the PANewsCN account does not appear to be posting any further information.

Total Amount Recovered

There does not appear to be any recovery in progress.

The total amount recovered is unknown.

Ongoing Developments

The PaNewsCN Twitter/X account may not be fully recovered and resume posting yet.

It remains to be seen whether or not affected users will be made whole.

Individual Prevention Policies

No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.