Fake death of Jonathan the 193-year-old tortoise used in crypto donation scam

A false announcement claiming Jonathan, the world’s oldest known land animal, had died was used to spread a crypto scam asking for donations.

A false online announcement claiming that Jonathan, the 193-year-old giant tortoise famous for being the world’s oldest living land animal, had died was actually part of a cryptocurrency scam. The story spread quickly online after an account posing as veterinarian Joe Hollins published the fake claim on X.

According to the report, the post gained massive attention in less than 24 hours and convinced many animal lovers that the news was real. The message appeared credible because it used the name of someone genuinely associated with Jonathan and presented the supposed death as confirmed information.

The following day, Joe Hollins publicly denied the claim on Facebook and warned that it was not an innocent joke. He said the hoax was tied to requests for cryptocurrency donations, which revealed the financial motive behind the false announcement.

Officials linked to Jonathan also confirmed that the tortoise was still alive. The case shows how scammers can use emotionally charged stories, fake authority and viral social media posts to manipulate users and push them toward digital payments.

Jonathan, a giant Seychelles tortoise, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living land animal and the oldest tortoise ever recorded. The scam relied on the shock value of announcing his death to attract attention quickly and create a sense of urgency around the false donation appeal.