Update: Every verified account with blue checkmarks have been locked by Twitter.
Update I: Apparently, the Twitter account of a high ranking Twitter staffer was sold on the black market. That account – which has user access to every Twitter account – was compromised by hackers on Wednesday.
Update II: A message on the dark web reads:
“Don’t purchase any Twitters for the time being, the internal employee panel was hacked and someone has access to any Twitter they want. You will also see lots of scams, don’t fall for them.”
Original post:
Hackers targeted the Twitter accounts of high-profile politicians and tech billionaires in a coordinated bitcoin scam.
The hackers hit the Twitter accounts of former President Barack Obama and former VP Joe Biden on Wednesday. President Trump’s Twitter account wasn’t hacked.
Also targeted were tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The hackers somehow gained access to the high profile accounts and offered to send Twitter users $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to a bitcoin address.
The tweets read: “I am giving back to my community due to Covid-19! All Bitcoin sent to my address below will be sent back doubled. If you send $1,000 I will send back $2,000. Only doing this for the next 20 minutes. Enjoy!”
The fake tweets were sent simultaneously on the hacked Twitter accounts of America’s wealthiest men and high-profile politicians.
Biden’s staff locked down his Twitter account almost immediately and the tweets were swiftly deleted, but not before hackers collected over $110,000 in bitcoin currency.
Twitter released a statement noting it was aware of the highly embarrassing security breaches on their platform and they are working to figure out how the hackers compromised the accounts.
You may be unable to Tweet or reset your password while we review and address this incident.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 15, 2020
its taken down already but here pic.twitter.com/Nx6S2hE2tw
— afkdajfl;adfff (@afkdajfl) July 15, 2020
Update: Kanye West’s Twitter account was also hacked.
BREAKING – Every blue checkmark account is now locked by Twitter. Problem: Not only verified accounts are being #hacked. Next wave incoming.
— Disclose.tv ? (@disclosetv) July 15, 2020
It's alarming: No government agency or news organization can post any tweets at the moment. What if there is a national emergency or worse happening? #Hacked
— Disclose.tv ? (@disclosetv) July 15, 2020
They even hacked xxxtentacion. Leave him out of this man. Smh. #hacked pic.twitter.com/dbCpHvqWSh
— THICC BOII (@Yungbrokeboi242) July 15, 2020
The hackers didn't bother hacking Trump, everyone knows he'd never double anybody's money.#hacked
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 15, 2020
