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Bitcoin scam hacks Twitter accounts of Obama, Biden, Bill Gates and others

Jul. 15, 2020 09:36PM EST
 Dan Ackermann

A number of prominent Twitter accounts, including those of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, appear to have been compromised Wednesday, posting messages tied to a cryptocurrency scam.

The big picture: One bitcoin wallet linked to the scam appears to have received the equivalent of over $100,000, according to CNBC.

Why it matters: Twitter has become a key source of communication and people generally assume the content posted by an account is from the person who owns the account, increasing the likelihood of a scam being successful.

Details: The accounts of Jeff Bezos, Mike Bloomberg and Kanye West, as well as Bitcoin.org, Coinbase and Ripple, were similarly compromised.

  • Twitter said it is looking into the matter but didn't immediately have a comment.
  • A spokesperson for Bill Gates said in a statement: "We can confirm that this tweet was not sent by Bill Gates. This appears to be part of a larger issue that Twitter is facing. Twitter is aware and working to restore the account."

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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