Some of the largest and most influential Twitter accounts in the world were hacked earlier today to promote fake Bitcoin giveaways. But eagle-eyed Reddit users have spotted a series of hidden messages in transactions sent to the Bitcoin wallet at the center of the scam.
Prominent accounts targeted in the Twitter attack included Joe Biden, Elon Musk, George Wallace, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Wiz Khalifa, Warren Buffett, Mike Bloomberg, Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos. The accounts were hacked with a message promising that if users sent BTC to a particular address, they would get a 2:1 return.
According to blockchain data, a user sent 0.00005348 Bitcoin (BTC) — roughly half a dollar in seven different transactions to the BTC wallet associated with the Twitter hack. The yet-to-be-identified sender spent 0.00121639 BTC in transaction fees — $11.19 — to send the following message:
Just Read All
Transaction Outputs As Text
You Take Risk When Use Bitcoin
For Your Twitter Game
Bitcoin is Traceable
Why Not Monero
As of this writing, scammers have conned Twitter users out of 12.86 BTC, or roughly $118,000. It’s unclear whether the message was targeting those responsible for the hack, or for those who fell for the Bitcoin giveaway scam by sending crypto.
Why not Monero?
Monero (XMR) is well known in the crypto community as a coin with more privacy features than Bitcoin, and is considered by many as the token of choice for scammers and darknet activities.
Reddit user u/ethereumflow said the message was strategic in that it reached people who use BTC to get them to research some of the differences with XMR:
“I doubt anyone that has Monero would fall for this scam but a lot of gullible people have BTC, no disrespect. I’m sure the intention was always to eventually swap for Monero. Questions will be directed at whichever exchange this happens with I’m sure. Is this good press for Monero? I don’t know. But it does advertise the high level of privacy and security.”
As of this writing, the price of Monero is $71.04, up 4.66% in the last 24 hours, while BTC remains in the $9,200s.