Binance co-CEO Yi He is personally compensating users who lost money in a scam from her compromised WeChat account promoting the Mubarakah memecoin. She plans to airdrop BNB to affected traders on Binance Web3 Wallet and Alpha within 24 hours, marking a one-time gesture amid warnings about social media security risks.
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Yi He’s dormant WeChat account was hacked on December 9, 2025, leading to fake endorsements of a BNB Chain memecoin.
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Hackers profited $55,000 after the token’s price surged over 800% due to the scam promotion.
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Compensation targets victims who traded Mubarakah on specific Binance platforms, with Yi He emphasizing user accountability for future incidents.
Discover how Binance co-CEO Yi He responds to the WeChat hack scam with direct compensation for victims. Learn key details on the breach, token surge, and prevention tips to safeguard your crypto investments today.
What is the Yi He WeChat Hack Compensation?
Yi He WeChat hack compensation involves Binance co-CEO Yi He allocating BNB tokens for an airdrop to users who suffered losses trading the fraudulent Mubarakah memecoin promoted via her compromised account. This initiative, announced on December 10, 2025, aims to reimburse affected individuals on the Binance Web3 Wallet and Alpha platform. Yi He stressed that this is a exceptional measure, underscoring the importance of personal responsibility in avoiding scams.
How Did the Hackers Exploit Yi He’s WeChat Account?
The breach occurred because Yi He had abandoned her WeChat account years earlier, leaving it tied to an old phone number that Chinese telecom carriers reassigned after about three months of inactivity. Attackers obtained this recycled number and initiated recovery by contacting just two of Yi He’s frequent contacts for verification, a process detailed in research by SlowMist founder Yu Xuan. This method exploits WeChat’s identity checks, which can include indirect connections like group members.
Blockchain analytics from Lookonchain revealed that the hackers set up two new wallets about seven hours before the scam posts, using 19,479 USDT to buy 21.16 million MUBARA tokens on PancakeSwap and other DEXs. Following the promotion, the token’s price jumped from $0.001 to $0.008, boosting its market cap to $8 million temporarily. The perpetrators then dumped 11.95 million tokens for 43,520 USDT, netting around $55,000 in profit as the price fell over 60%.
Yi He confirmed the incident on X, noting she recovered the account via external verification and updated the password. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao echoed warnings on X about weak Web2 social media security, advising against acting on hacked memecoin promotions. This event highlights recurring vulnerabilities, as Tron founder Justin Sun faced a similar WeChat hack on November 30, 2025, and Yi He was impersonated in March 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Caused the Yi He WeChat Hack and How Much Did Victims Lose?
The Yi He WeChat hack stemmed from her inactive account’s phone number being recycled and seized by attackers, who then promoted the Mubarakah memecoin scam. Victims lost funds trading the token, with hackers profiting $55,000 overall from an 800% price pump and subsequent dump, affecting traders on BNB Chain platforms.
How Can Crypto Users Protect Against WeChat Account Hacks?
To protect against WeChat account hacks, regularly update security settings, use active phone numbers for primary accounts, and enable two-factor authentication beyond SMS. Avoid reusing old numbers and monitor for unusual recovery attempts by verifying contacts directly. As Yi He and experts like Yu Xuan advise, treat unsolicited memecoin promotions as potential scams, especially from high-profile accounts.
Key Takeaways
- Personal Compensation Initiative: Yi He is airdropping BNB to reimburse specific scam victims, but limits this to a one-time action to encourage user vigilance.
- Hack Mechanics Exposed: Recycled phone numbers enable easy WeChat takeovers, as seen in cases involving Yi He and Justin Sun, per SlowMist research.
- Scam Impact Quantified: The Mubarakah token scam generated $55,000 in illicit profits after a brief 800% surge, underscoring the need for caution with social media endorsements.
Conclusion
In summary, the Yi He WeChat hack compensation addresses immediate losses from the Mubarakah memecoin scam while highlighting broader risks in social media security for crypto users. By referencing insights from Lookonchain and SlowMist, this incident demonstrates the crypto industry’s push toward better protections without endorsing speculative assets like memecoins. As threats evolve, staying informed and proactive will be key to safeguarding investments in the coming years—consider reviewing your account securities today.
