Obama and Bezos Among Targets as Twitter Hacker Jailed in US to Return £4m in Bitcoin to UK

A Twitter hacker who breached the accounts of public figures, including Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos, has been ordered to return £4 million.

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Joseph James O’Connor, 26, was jailed in the United States for hacking social media accounts. The offences involved scamming people out of Bitcoin and threatening celebrities with the release of private images and messages.

CPS recovers 42 Bitcoin from Twitter hacker scheme

The UK’s CPS Proceeds of Crime Division has now obtained a Civil Recovery Order to reclaim 42 Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency acquired through the scheme, valued at around £4.1 million.

The CPS said it worked with authorities in the US and Spain to ensure the order could be served, preventing O’Connor from hiding the assets.

Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said O’Connor “targeted well known individuals and used their accounts to scam people out of their crypto assets and money.”

He added that the authorities were able “to ensure that even when someone is not convicted in the UK, they do not benefit from their criminality.”

Florida teen jailed for Twitter celebrity Bitcoin scam

In 2021, Florida teen Graham Ivan Clark was identified as the mastermind behind the hijacking of dozens of celebrity Twitter accounts, including Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Barack Obama.

Clark and two other teens used the accounts to solicit Bitcoin, promising to return double payments. The scheme swindled more than $180,000. Clark later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in jail and three years of probation.