The Biggest Twitter Bitcoin Scam: The 17-Year-Old Mastermind
In July 2020, 17-year-old Florida teenager Graham Ivan Clark orchestrated the largest Twitter Bitcoin scam in history. He has successfully leveraged high-profile accounts, including Elon Musk and Barack Obama, to reveal vulnerabilities in social media and the digital sphere.
The whole story of the scam:
On July 15, 2020, a series of tweets from infected accounts claimed to double Bitcoin by sending it to a designated wallet. Disguised as trusted figures such as Apple, Elon Musk, Joe Biden and others, these tweets force followers to act quickly, creating a sense of urgency and excitement within the crypto community.
Hacking techniques:
Hackers used spear phishing to target accounts and lure employees with administrative rights into revealing sensitive information. To ensure unrestricted access to the high-profile Twitter handle, the attacker changed the password.
Planner team:
Clark is the heart of this team, an astonishing 17-year-old. He planned the attack and worked with 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.
motivation:
The primary motivation is the pursuit of financial gain. By abusing trust and reputation, the hackers successfully tricked followers into sending over $100,000 in Bitcoin to designated wallets. Their coordinated efforts underscored the effectiveness of their carefully planned plans.
Follow-up:
Twitter quickly disabled the compromised accounts and launched an investigation. Cooperation by the FBI and other agencies led to Clark's arrest on 30 felony charges. Shepard and Fazeli also face charges of participating in a Bitcoin scam.
