World’s Oldest Tortoise Used in Crypto Scam After Fake Death Post Fools Major News Outlets

TLDR

• A fake X account posed as Jonathan the tortoise’s vet and announced his death
• The hoax fooled the BBC, Daily Mail, and USA Today, reaching 2 million views
• The account was soliciting cryptocurrency donations during the false reports
• Saint Helena’s governor went out at night to confirm Jonathan was alive and well
• 2025 was the worst year on record for crypto fraud, with $17 billion in losses

A fake social media post claiming the world’s oldest living land animal had died turned into a cryptocurrency scam that fooled some of the biggest news outlets in the world.

Jonathan, a 194-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise living on the island of Saint Helena, was falsely reported dead this week after a hoax account on X spread the story to millions of people.

The account used the name and identity of Joe Hollins, Jonathan’s real veterinarian. It claimed to be “heartbroken” to announce Jonathan had “passed away peacefully.”

The post racked up two million views quickly. The BBC, Daily Mail, and USA Today all published stories reporting Jonathan’s death based on the account.

The problem: the real Joe Hollins does not even have an X account. He confirmed the post was a complete fabrication.

The fake account was also based in Brazil, not Saint Helena, according to investigative checks.

How the Truth Came Out

Saint Helena’s governor, Nigel Phillips, was getting ready for bed when messages started flooding in from around the world. He went outside in the middle of the night to check on the tortoise himself.

He found Jonathan exactly where he was supposed to be — asleep under a tree in his paddock.

The Friends of the British Overseas Territories also shared a statement online, noting that the account had recently changed its username and was actively soliciting crypto donations.

Guinness World Records responded to the news with a simple “phew.”

Jonathan’s Condition

Despite the chaos online, Jonathan is in good health for his age. He is blind from cataracts and has lost his sense of smell, but he still eats well and stays active.

He shares his home at Plantation House, the governor’s residence, with three other tortoises named Emma, David, and Fredrik.

Jonathan has lived through eight British monarchs, two world wars, and the entire digital age.

The major outlets that reported his death have since retracted their stories.

The hoax is part of a wider trend of crypto fraud using impersonation tactics. According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, crypto scam losses hit a record $17 billion in 2025.

The average scam payment rose 253% to $2,764, driven by AI-powered impersonation and increasingly sophisticated operations.

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