Fake news for real scam. On April 2, the authorities on the island of Sainte-Hélène had to officially deny the death of Jonathan, a 194-year-old giant tortoise considered to be the oldest living terrestrial specimen. This announcement follows to a disinformation campaign orchestrated on social networks, which deceived several international press agencies. The incident, initially presented as an April Fool’s joke, concealed an attempted financial fraud involving crypto. By impersonating the animal’s veterinarian, the account behind the hoax generated millions of views to promote a memecoin and solicit donations.
- Authorities in Saint Helena have denied the death of Jonathan, the 194-year-old giant tortoise, following a disinformation campaign on social media.
- This hoax, aimed at promoting a crypto theme, manipulated world opinion and illustrated the vulnerability of information systems to digital fraud.
The fraudulent account on the X platform (since disappeared), claiming to belong to veterinarian Joe Hollins, published a message of condolences particularly detailed. The publication claimed that Jonathan died peacefullycausing a wave of global emotion and immediate coverage by media such as the BBC or the Daily Mail.
However, the real veterinarian, who does not use social media, quickly confirmed that the animal was in perfect health ! The objective of this staging was to draw attention to a “meme coin” launched on the Solana blockchain, using the symbol JONATHAN. The author of the deception took advantage of the visibility of his message to broadcast the address of a smart contract linked to this token. Market data indicates that the capitalization of this asset briefly increased de 50 000 Ã 380 000 dollars following the announcement, before falling almost completely once the denial was published.
While some messages suggested the collection of direct donations in cryptocurrencies, most of the financial activity seems to have focused on speculation around this cryptocreated several months earlier but remained marginal until then. Faced with the scale of the rumor, the governor of Saint Helena, Nigel Phillips, personally checked Jonathan’s condition before providing proof of life to the journalists of Guardian.
Confirmation of Jonathan’s state of health and reaction from the authorities
A photograph showing the turtle feeding in front of a recent news page has been released to reassure public opinion. Despite its advanced age and a partial loss of sight and smell, the animal maintains a robust appetite and active behavior within the official residence where it has resided since 1882. And we are very happy to learn that!
The governor’s mother ironic about the situation quoting Mark Twain, who then mocked rumors about his own death and who declared to the press: “The report of my death is greatly exaggerated†! However, he wanted to emphasize unnecessary stress that such practices impose on the local community of the island, while indicating that Jonathan was a contemporary of the author of Tom Sawyer. A way of recalling the respect that man owes to this animal which has spanned the ages.
This case perfectly illustratest the vulnerability of information systems faced with manipulative strategies aimed at influencing the value of volatile financial assets. It also highlights the need for editorial to scrupulously check the sources from unofficial profiles, even when the content seems credible or emotionally tinged.
The Jonathan the Turtle incident finally reminds us that disinformation mechanisms are now adapting to new vectors of digital speculation. The celebrity of the animal served as a lever for a coordinated financial operation, transforming a symbol of longevity into an instrument of ephemeral stock market volatility. Although the turtle emerged from this ordeal with an extra ration of bananas, this episode highlights the ethical and financial risks linked to the use of fake news in emerging technology sectors. On this Easter weekend, we obviously wish Jonathan the turtle a long life!
