Late actor Matthew Perry’s X account was hacked by scammers trying to direct social media users to make donations on a fake copycat website, according to a statement from the Matthew Perry Foundation.
In an Instagram post on Feb. 26, the foundation wrote that it had received reports Mr. Perry’s official X page had been hacked and was “directing users to a fraudulent site soliciting donations via cryptocurrency.”
“Please do not donate to this site or share the fraudulent posts on social media,” it added. “MatthewPerryFoundation.org is the only website associated with the foundation, and we are only accepting donations through this site.”
The post, which has since been removed from Mr. Perry’s X account, was highlighted at the top of his profile urging people to donate via a link that directed users to an imitation of the official Matthew Perry Foundation, according to Sky News.
The social media network’s community notes feature—a fact-checking tool that allows contributors to add context to “potentially misleading posts”—also flagged the post to warn X users that scammers hacked Mr. Perry’s account and that the link was fake.
It is unclear if any money was stolen.
After Mr. Perry’s death on Oct. 28, a non-profit organization dubbed National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) established the Matthew Perry Foundation in his name to honor the late actor’s “unwavering commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.”
“We are committed to raising awareness and fostering understanding about the nature of addiction, and will work to dismantle the barriers of stigma that prevent people from seeking and receiving care,” a statement on the foundation’s website reads.
Perry’s Death
In December, Perry’s death was ruled an accident from the “acute effects” of the dissociative drug ketamine and other factors, including “coronary artery disease” and “buprenorphine effects,” according to an autopsy report.
“Prescription medications and loose pills” were found at Mr. Perry’s residence when he was found, the report said.
Perry was found unresponsive by a witness in the pool at his residence in Pacific Palisades, California, on Oct. 28, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was 54.
The “Friends” star had been outspoken about his addiction struggles over the years, writing candidly about his decades-long struggle with addiction to prescription painkillers and alcohol in “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” a memoir he published in 2022.
At the time of the memoir’s publication, Perry said he had been sober for about 18 months.
Besides playing Chandler Bing on the sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, Mr. Perry also appeared in several TV series, including “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” He also appeared in movies such as “17 Again” and “Fools Rush In.”