Jonathan, the world’s oldest tortoise, caught in viral crypto death scam

Fake X account posing as his vet sparked global false reports of Jonathan’s death while soliciting crypto donations

The real vet said: 'Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive. I believe on X the person purporting to be me is asking for crypto donations, so it’s not even an April fool joke. It’s a con.' File picture: Gianluigi Guercia/Getty Images

At 194 years old, Jonathan the giant tortoise was a youngster when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne — and has now lived long enough to fall victim to a crypto scam.

News outlets including the BBC, Daily Mail, and USA Today falsely reported his death after an X account posing as Jonathan’s vet broke the news.