THE BIGGEST TWITTER BITCOIN SCAM:17-Year-Old Mastermind

In July 2020, a 17-year-old from Florida, Graham Ivan Clark, orchestrated the largest Twitter Bitcoin scam in history. Exploiting high-profile accounts, including Elon Musk and Barack Obama, Clark's scheme revealed the dark side of social media and the vulnerabilities within the digital landscape.

The Setup:

On July 15, 2020, a series of tweets from compromised accounts promised to double Bitcoin sent to a specific wallet. The tweets, appearing to come from trusted personalities such as (Apple, Elon Musk, Joe Biden and others), urged followers to act quickly, creating a sense of urgency and excitement within the crypto community.

The Scam:

Hackers used spear-phishing to compromise accounts, tricking employees with administrative access into revealing sensitive information. Gaining control, the attackers changed passwords, securing unrestricted access to high-profile Twitter handles.

The Mastermind:

At the center was Clark, a 17-year-old with surprising sophistication. He orchestrated the attack, using accomplices Mason Sheppard (19) from the UK and Nima Fazeli (22) from Florida. Clark demonstrated not only technical prowess but also a strategic understanding of exploiting others.

The Motive:

The primary motive was financial gain. Exploiting trust and credibility, the hackers duped followers into sending over $100,000 in Bitcoin to the specified wallet. The coordinated effort highlighted the effectiveness of their well-executed plan.

The Fallout:

Twitter promptly disabled compromised accounts, launching an investigation. The FBI and other agencies collaborated, leading to Clark's arrest on 30 felony charges. Sheppard and Fazeli also faced charges related to their involvement in the Bitcoin scam.