A strange rumor has emerged on social media, with claims that viral internet sensation Hailey Welch, at 22 years old and known for the “Hawk Tuah” clip, has died. To date, no official announcement has been made to authenticate these claims. The claims came in the wake of allegations surrounding her involvement in a crypto scam.
A social media user with more than 24,000 followers first broke the news of the alleged death of Welch on X (formerly known as Twitter). The post that went viral was: “Breaking News: Hailey Welch found dead at the age of 22 years old.” Netizens quickly drew attention to the news but, so far, nothing has been confirmed by a reliable source about the demise of Welch. Still, other accounts kept posting that claim the death of the young girl, which creates confusion and worry among Welch’s followers.
Breaking News: Hailey Welch has been found deceased at the age of 22 years old. pic.twitter.com/0JK9S5s6Av
— Scrim (@scrimXBT) December 8, 2024
Welch’s Rise To Fame And Recent Controversy
Hailey Welch, or the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” went viral with her viral “Hawk Tuah” clip. The most recent of her exploits in the cryptocurrency world, however, has brought controversy to her name. Welch just launched her much-anticipated memecoin on the Solana blockchain called $HAWK. Within minutes of its release, the coin skyrocketed and reached a market capitalization of $500 million. However, this surge proved short-lived as the coin went tumbling down to $60 million within just 20 minutes.
Crypto Scam Allegations
The dramatic crash of $HAWK resulted in huge financial losses to its investors, most of whom were Welch’s loyal followers. This led to accusations of a “rug pull” or “pump-and-dump” scheme-a term used to describe fraudulent practices in the cryptocurrency market. In a rug pull, developers of a cryptocurrency project suddenly withdraw all funds, leaving investors with worthless tokens.
Understanding ‘Rug Pull’ Scam
According to CoinDesk, a rug pull occurs when a cryptocurrency team raises money from investors by selling tokens, then disappears, leaving the raised funds in a scam, with the investors left empty-handed. When $HAWK went belly-up overnight, some people thought that maybe Welch had done this. Here is where the allegations arise from frustrated buyers.
The allegations against Welch have not only hurt the investors but also damaged her reputation. As the controversy over the memecoin continues to unfold, Welch’s involvement in the crypto space has been severely criticized. While some fans remain supportive, others are questioning whether her rapid success was built on legitimate business practices or whether it was a deceptive ploy to make quick profits.
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