{"id":59013,"date":"2025-11-18T07:32:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T07:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=59013"},"modified":"2025-11-18T07:32:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T07:32:11","slug":"british-hacker-must-repay-5-4m-after-twitter-crypto-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=59013","title":{"rendered":"British Hacker Must Repay $5.4M After Twitter Crypto Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A British man has been ordered to repay \u00a34.1 million, or about $5.4 million, in Bitcoin after running one of the most infamous crypto scams ever seen on Twitter. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The scam involved hijacking accounts belonging to some of the most recognizable figures <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in the world<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> A civil recovery order was granted by UK prosecutors to seize 42 Bitcoin, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">along<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with other digital assets linked to the fraud.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Cyberattack That Took Over the Biggest Names on Twitter<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The hacker, Joseph James O\u2019Connor from Liverpool, admitted guilt in the US last year. He faced charges including wire fraud, computer intrusion, and extortion. Back in July 2020, he and his team managed to take over more than 130 Twitter accounts. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Man who hacked Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos ordered to hand over \u00a34million worth of Bitcoin.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/27a1.png\" alt=\"\u27a1\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7ciEWH1Jq9\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/t.co\/7ciEWH1Jq9<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FckqXI0fTh\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/FckqXI0fTh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CPSUK\/status\/1990383581118472391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">November 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The list of victims was like a roll call of global <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">influence;<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, and Kim Kardashian were just a few of the names involved. The scammers used those accounts to push a fake Bitcoin giveaway, telling followers they would double any crypto sent to a listed wallet address.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Value of the Stolen Crypto Ballooned Over Time<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At the time of the attack, the total amount of stolen Bitcoin came to around $794,000, or \u00a3629,000. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">with the rise in<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Bitcoin\u2019s value over the years, that pot of stolen crypto has grown dramatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By the time the UK court issued the recovery order, the assets had climbed to over \u00a34 million. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Even though the UK didn\u2019t bring criminal charges against O\u2019Connor, they <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">went after<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the money <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">using<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> a civil case under the Proceeds of Crime Act.<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A trustee will now oversee the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">process<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">selling off<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the seized crypto and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">returning<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the funds to public control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>DISCOVER: <a class=\"general-link\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/new-cryptocurrency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener sponsored\">Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Scam Exposed Bigger Weaknesses<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The hack wasn\u2019t just about money. It also revealed how quickly high\u2011profile social media accounts can be turned into powerful tools for financial scams. These were some of the biggest names in politics, tech, and entertainment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"chart crypto-chart-instance\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9\" data-coin-id=\"btc\">\n<div class=\"chart__header\">\n<div class=\"chart__info\">\n<div class=\"chart__info-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<img id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-icon-img\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"chart__info-name\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-name\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__info-symbol\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-symbol\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__info-current\">\n<div class=\"chart__info-price\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-price\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__info-change\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-change\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__info-extra\">\n<div class=\"chart__info-label\">Market Cap<\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__info-marketcap\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-chart__info-marketcap\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__controls\">\n<div class=\"chart__controls-group\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"chart__button chart__button--24h\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-btn-24h\">24h<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"chart__button chart__button--7d\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-btn-7d\">7d<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"chart__button chart__button--30d\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-btn-30d\">30d<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"chart__button chart__button--1y\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-btn-1y\">1y<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"chart__button chart__button--all-time\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-btn-all-time\">All Time<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"chart__container\">\n\t\t<canvas class=\"chart__canvas\" id=\"crypto_chart_691c2082635e9-cryptoChart\"><\/canvas>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That gave the scam a massive reach in just a short window of time. The incident served as a wake-up call for social media companies and reminded crypto users to be <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">extremely<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> cautious of too-good-to-be-true promises online.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>DISCOVER: <a class=\"general-link\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/next-crypto-to-explode\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener sponsored\">20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What Happens Next With the Money and the Case<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now that the order has been made, attention turns to how smoothly the UK government can recover the funds. It will also be important to see if more cases like this are handled using civil powers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The ability to track crypto across borders and seize it legally is still evolving, and this case could influence how future recoveries are approached.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One Big Lesson in a World of Fast-Moving Tech and Crime<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The fact that Joseph James O\u2019Connor now owes $5.4 million after exploiting some of the most influential Twitter accounts shows how online crime and crypto can intersect in dangerous ways. It also shows that enforcement agencies are finding new ways to fight back, even if they have to go beyond traditional courtroom routes to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">DISCOVER:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"general-link\" href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/cryptocurrency\/next-crypto-to-explode\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener sponsored\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"general-link\" href=\"https:\/\/discord.gg\/B7Uk6agkqj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Join The 99Bitcoins News Discord Here For The Latest Market Updates<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<div class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways\">\n<h2 class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__title\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<ul class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list\">\n        <\/ul>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        A UK hacker must hand over $5.4 million in Bitcoin after scamming users through celebrity Twitter accounts.    <\/li>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        The scam used hacked profiles <\/li>\n<p><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">like<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Elon Musk and Barack Obama to push fake Bitcoin giveaways.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        At the time, the stolen Bitcoin was worth $794,000, but its value later soared to over $5 million.    <\/li>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        UK prosecutors used a civil recovery order to go after the stolen crypto instead of filing criminal charges.    <\/li>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/p>\n<li class=\"nnbtc-key-takeaways__list-item\">\n        The case exposed how social media can be weaponized for large-scale crypto scams in minutes.    <\/li>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/news\/bitcoin-btc\/british-hacker-must-repay-5-4m-after-twitter-crypto-scam\/\">British Hacker Must Repay $5.4M After Twitter Crypto Scam<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/99bitcoins.com\/\">99Bitcoins<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A British man has been ordered to repay \u00a34.1 million, or about $5.4 million, in Bitcoin after running one of the most infamous crypto scams ever seen on Twitter. The scam involved hijacking accounts belonging to some of the most recognizable figures in the world. A civil recovery order was granted by UK prosecutors to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-59013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-crypto","tag-doge","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=59013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59013\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=59013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=59013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=59013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}