Bitcoin owners were in for a ride Wednesday when verified Twitter accounts suddenly asked them for bitcoin donations. If you haven’t seen blue check accounts in your feed, this could be why.
Who’s Asking for Bitcoin on Twitter?
CNN reports that Twitter security was compromised Wednesday. Prominent accounts suddenly tweeted for bitcoin. Users included Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kanye West, Jeff Bezos, and President Barack Obama. Hacker on Bill Gates’ account even promised to “double all payments to a Bitcoin address.”
Twitter accounts belonging to Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Apple and Uber, among other prominent handles, were compromised and posted tweets that appeared to promote a cryptocurrency scam https://t.co/MwYu68fuoG
— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) July 15, 2020
I’m Not Verified, so Can I Still Tweet?
Twitter responded to the hack by limiting user access. If you have a verified account, chances are you can’t tweet or reply to tweets. If you don’t have a blue check, then no problem. A little over two hours after the hack passed before Twitter restored its functions.
Most accounts should be able to Tweet again. As we continue working on a fix, this functionality may come and go. We're working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.
— Support (@Support) July 16, 2020
So, Celebrities Got Hacked. What’s the Problem?
You can’t just laugh off celebrity Twitter hacking. Many world leaders, like President Trump, use Twitter. In Trump’s case, he announces significant policies there. A lot of worldwide agencies also use Twitter. Hackers getting into these accounts could sow chaos around the world. Just one misleading tweet, and you got another country firing nukes at you. Twitter could beef up its cybersecurity.
I Think I Gave Elon Musk Some Bitcoin. What Happened to It?
According to CNN Business, some of the Bitcoin wallets in the hack became active only on Wednesday. The hackers only needed hours to make money. In that time, Twitter users dropped $100,000 worth of bitcoins into their wallets. The hackers also made sure to spread the bitcoins to other wallets.
CNN reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is on the case. This new celebrity hacking case should remind us not to give away money on the internet. Just because a celebrity asks us to, it doesn’t mean we should.
