High-profile users in America were in for a shock as accounts of major companies and individuals were compromised. In a blitzkrieg, Bitcoin scammers targetted some of the most recognisable faces on Twitter.

Elon Musk's account posted the first of the mysterious tweets - it asked the Twitterati to send money to a Bitcoin wallet address which is like a bank account number for Bitcoin transactions.

Followers were told their money will be doubled. Soon, former president Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the world's richest man - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's billionaire founder Bill Gates, the i-Phone maker Apple and several other verified accounts began tweeting similar posts.

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Millions of users follow these accounts and they fell into a trap. So far, the hacker has pocketed over 100,000 dollars but it took Twitter two hours to respond to the rapid hacks. For the first time ever it froze all verified accounts and all fake tweets were deleted but they began to reappear as fast as they were being erased.

The hacker was in total control as Twitter's two-step verification was easily breached. Twitter had an embarrassing answer - it said the hacker gained access to Twitter employee’s admin privileges. Technically, Twitter was the first to get hacked in the fiasco. CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted saying he feels terrible over what has happened but it is not the first time the social media platform has been hacked.

Last year Dorsey's account was hijacked and the company promised to fix the loopholes.

Clearly, it has not done enough and now the platform is facing its biggest scandal - the head of products at Twitter Kayvon Beykpour said sorry to users. However, it may not be enough to quieten the outrage. Politicians are a worried lot in the run upto to the US presidential election.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley has already written to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The letter lists immediate concerns, reserving the most important question to the end: did the attack threaten the security of President Donald Trump's Twitter account?

The concern is justified, the hacker could have had a field day with Trump's account. Whoever is behind the hacking could have caused more damage as the access they had is unprecedented.

They were after money, hence caused no major harm to reputations, but Twitter will have to answer tough questions. It won't be long before investigation agencies come knocking.

Can Twitter really come out of this with its reputation intact?

High-profile users in America were in for a shock as accounts of major companies and individuals were compromised. In a blitzkrieg, Bitcoin scammers targetted some of the most recognisable faces on Twitter.

High-profile users in America were in for a shock as accounts of major companies and individuals were compromised. In a blitzkrieg, Bitcoin scammers targetted some of the most recognisable faces on Twitter. Elon Musk's account posted the first of the mysterious tweets - it asked the Twitterati to send money to a Bitcoin wallet address which is like a bank account number for Bitcoin transactions. Followers were told their money will be doubled. Soon, former president Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the world's richest man - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's billionaire founder Bill Gates, the i-Phone maker Apple and several other verified accounts began tweeting similar posts. Millions of users follow these accounts and they fell into a trap. So far, the hacker has pocketed over 100,000 dollars but it took Twitter two hours to respond to the rapid hacks. For the first time ever it froze all verified accounts and all fake tweets were deleted but they began to reappear as fast as they were being erased. The hacker was in total control as Twitter's two-step verification was easily breached. Twitter had an embarrassing answer - it said the hacker gained access to Twitter employee’s admin privileges. Technically, Twitter was the first to get hacked in the fiasco. CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted saying he feels terrible over what has happened but it is not the first time the social media platform has been hacked. Last year Dorsey's account was hijacked and the company promised to fix the loopholes. Clearly, it has not done enough and now the platform is facing its biggest scandal - the head of products at Twitter Kayvon Beykpour said sorry to users. However, it may not be enough to quieten the outrage. Politicians are a worried lot in the run upto to the US presidential election. Republican Senator Josh Hawley has already written to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The letter lists immediate concerns, reserving the most important question to the end: did the attack threaten the security of President Donald Trump's Twitter account? The concern is justified, the hacker could have had a field day with Trump's account. Whoever is behind the hacking could have caused more damage as the access they had is unprecedented. They were after money, hence caused no major harm to reputations, but Twitter will have to answer tough questions. It won't be long before investigation agencies come knocking. Can Twitter really come out of this with its reputation intact?

Bitcoin scammers hack Twitter accounts of high profile users in America

The domestic intelligence and security service of the United States FBI is leading an inquiry into the Twitter hacking of major companies and individuals, as more Washington lawmakers raised alarms about the breach of high-profile accounts on the social media platform.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-accounts-of-jeff-bezos-elon-musk-bill-gates-and-others-hit-in-major-hack-313558">Also read: Twitter accounts of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others hit in major hack</a> 
 
Earlier the FBI had said that hackers appeared to commit cryptocurrency fraud after they seized control of the Twitter accounts of celebrities and political figures including Joe Biden, Kim Kardashian, Barack Obama and Elon Musk. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-twitter-says-olympics-ioc-accounts-hacked-280911">Also read |&nbsp;Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked</a>

Yesterday, in a blitzkrieg, Bitcoin scammers targeted some of the most recognizable faces on Twitter.

Elon Musk's account posted the first of the mysterious tweets - it asked the Twitterati to send money to a Bitcoin wallet address which is like a bank account number for Bitcoin transactions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-a-man-hacked-google-maps-to-show-virtual-traffic-jams-with-99-mobile-phones-and-a-red-cart-278498">Also read |&nbsp;How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart</a>

Followers were told their money will be doubled. Soon, former president Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the world's richest man - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's billionaire founder Bill Gates, the i-Phone maker Apple and several other verified accounts began tweeting similar posts.

Millions of users follow these accounts and they fell into a trap. So far, the hacker has pocketed over 100,000 dollars but it took Twitter two hours to respond to the rapid hacks. For the first time ever it froze all verified accounts and all fake tweets were deleted but they began to reappear as fast as they were being erased.

A day after the breach, it was not clear if the hackers were able to see private messages sent by the account holders. US lawmakers worried about future attacks.

"While this scheme appears financially motivated...imagine if these bad actors had a different intent to use powerful voices to spread disinformation to potentially interfere with our elections, disrupt the stock market, or upset our international relations," U.S. Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat, said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

The domestic intelligence and security service of the United States FBI is leading an inquiry into the Twitter hacking of major companies and individuals, as more Washington lawmakers raised alarms about the breach of high-profile accounts on the social media platform.

The domestic intelligence and security service of the United States FBI is leading an inquiry into the Twitter hacking of major companies and individuals, as more Washington lawmakers raised alarms about the breach of high-profile accounts on the social media platform. Also read: Twitter accounts of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others hit in major hack Earlier the FBI had said that hackers appeared to commit cryptocurrency fraud after they seized control of the Twitter accounts of celebrities and political figures including Joe Biden, Kim Kardashian, Barack Obama and Elon Musk. Also read | Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked Yesterday, in a blitzkrieg, Bitcoin scammers targeted some of the most recognizable faces on Twitter. Elon Musk's account posted the first of the mysterious tweets - it asked the Twitterati to send money to a Bitcoin wallet address which is like a bank account number for Bitcoin transactions. Also read | How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart Followers were told their money will be doubled. Soon, former president Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, the world's richest man - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's billionaire founder Bill Gates, the i-Phone maker Apple and several other verified accounts began tweeting similar posts. Millions of users follow these accounts and they fell into a trap. So far, the hacker has pocketed over 100,000 dollars but it took Twitter two hours to respond to the rapid hacks. For the first time ever it froze all verified accounts and all fake tweets were deleted but they began to reappear as fast as they were being erased. A day after the breach, it was not clear if the hackers were able to see private messages sent by the account holders. US lawmakers worried about future attacks. "While this scheme appears financially motivated...imagine if these bad actors had a different intent to use powerful voices to spread disinformation to potentially interfere with our elections, disrupt the stock market, or upset our international relations," U.S. Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat, said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

FBI leads probe into catastrophic Twitter breach

A UN spokesman has informed that UN officials do not use Facebook-owned Whatsapp to communicate.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeff-all-of-what-you-hear-or-told-its-not-true-saudi-crown-princes-text-to-bezos-276150">Also Read:&nbsp;'Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true': Saudi Crown Prince Salman's text to Bezos</a>

UN spokesman Farhan Haq said: “The senior officials at the UN have been instructed not to use WhatsApp, it’s not supported as a secure mechanism.”

Haq's revelation comes amid allegation of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman using a WhatsApp message to hack Amazon chief Jeff Bezos phone.

Watch Video:

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Saudi Arabia, however, dismissed the allegation calling it "absurd" while calling for an investigation into the allegation.

The UN spokesman in fact said not only just UN officials Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also does not use Whatsapp. The spokesman said the UN had issued a directive in June last year not to use WhatsApp.

"I do not believe the secretary-general uses it,” Haq said.

The Bezos phone hacking created a storm with the White House declaring that it was taking the issue "seriously" even as UN experts demanded an immediate investigation by the US and other authorities.

UN officials said information pointed to "possible involvement" of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman into the alleged cyberattack which took place two years ago.

The UN report alleged with "medium to high confidence" that Jeff Bezos' iPhone was hijacked by a malware video file sent from a WhatsApp account allegedly used by the Saudi Crown Prince in May 2018.

A UN spokesman has informed that UN officials do not use Facebook-owned Whatsapp to communicate. Also Read: 'Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true': Saudi Crown Prince Salman's text to Bezos UN spokesman Farhan Haq said: “The senior officials at the UN have been instructed not to use WhatsApp, it’s not supported as a secure mechanism.

A UN spokesman has informed that UN officials do not use Facebook-owned Whatsapp to communicate. Also Read: 'Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true': Saudi Crown Prince Salman's text to Bezos UN spokesman Farhan Haq said: “The senior officials at the UN have been instructed not to use WhatsApp, it’s not supported as a secure mechanism.” Haq's revelation comes amid allegation of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman using a WhatsApp message to hack Amazon chief Jeff Bezos phone. Watch Video: Saudi Arabia, however, dismissed the allegation calling it "absurd" while calling for an investigation into the allegation. The UN spokesman in fact said not only just UN officials Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also does not use Whatsapp. The spokesman said the UN had issued a directive in June last year not to use WhatsApp. "I do not believe the secretary-general uses it,” Haq said. The Bezos phone hacking created a storm with the White House declaring that it was taking the issue "seriously" even as UN experts demanded an immediate investigation by the US and other authorities. UN officials said information pointed to "possible involvement" of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman into the alleged cyberattack which took place two years ago. The UN report alleged with "medium to high confidence" that Jeff Bezos' iPhone was hijacked by a malware video file sent from a WhatsApp account allegedly used by the Saudi Crown Prince in May 2018.

UN instructs officials not to use WhatsApp; not supported as a secure mechanism, says spokesman

The United Nations demanded an immediate investigation on Wednesday into allegations that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/describing-as-absurd-saudi-arabia-rejects-hacking-jeff-bezos-phone-reports-275917">Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince hacked Amazon chief</a>&nbsp;Jeff Bezo's phone with malware video.

According to the analysis released on Friday by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mohammed-bin-salman-caught-spying-jeff-bezos-accused-saudi-prince-of-hacking-his-phone-275857">Amazon chief Jeff Bezos's phone was likely infected by spyware</a> hidden in a message from which sent from a WhatsApp account that belongs to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement in Geneva said that the latest findings "suggest the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, the Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia."

Amazon chief Bezos is the owner of the Washington Post.

"The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands an immediate investigation by the US and other relevant authorities," Kaye and Callamard said in the statement.

Meanwhile, the reports also revealed that the Saudi Prince sent a text message to Bezos in February after exchanging numbers with him at a dinner in Los Angeles during a Mohammed bin Salman's US trip.

"Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true," the message said. "You know the truth, there is nothing against you or Amazon from me or Saudi Arabia," news agency AFP reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-takes-a-dig-at-mark-zuckerberg-calls-making-of-facebook-childs-play-274396">Also read:&nbsp;Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos takes a dig at Mark Zuckerberg, calls making of Facebook child's play</a>

Then after months of no communication, Saudi Prince sent another message to Bezos which contained a large video file which then led to the hacking of his phone.

"We know from a comprehensive examination of the forensic artefacts on Bezos' phone that within hours of the encrypted downloader being received, a massive and unauthorised exfiltration of data from Bezos' phone began, continuing and escalating for months thereafter," the forensic report said.&nbsp;

The analysis also suggested that the hackers may have used a type of spyware used in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as Pegasus-3 malware developed by the Israeli security firm NSO Group.

&nbsp;The latest findings are set to worsen the relations between the world's richest man and the kingdom which had soured following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, who was also a columnist for the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Bezos on Wednesday posted a cryptic tweet as he shared a picture of a slain journalist with a hashtag Jamal.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jamal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jamal</a> <a href="https://t.co/8ej1rUBXVb">pic.twitter.com/8ej1rUBXVb</a>
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/1220059386694922240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

The United Nations demanded an immediate investigation on Wednesday into allegations that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince hacked Amazon chief Jeff Bezo's phone with malware video.

The United Nations demanded an immediate investigation on Wednesday into allegations that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince hacked Amazon chief Jeff Bezo's phone with malware video. According to the analysis released on Friday by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos's phone was likely infected by spyware hidden in a message from which sent from a WhatsApp account that belongs to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. UN Special Rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and David Kaye said in a statement in Geneva said that the latest findings "suggest the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, the Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia." Amazon chief Bezos is the owner of the Washington Post. "The alleged hacking of Mr Bezos's phone, and those of others, demands an immediate investigation by the US and other relevant authorities," Kaye and Callamard said in the statement. Meanwhile, the reports also revealed that the Saudi Prince sent a text message to Bezos in February after exchanging numbers with him at a dinner in Los Angeles during a Mohammed bin Salman's US trip. "Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true," the message said. "You know the truth, there is nothing against you or Amazon from me or Saudi Arabia," news agency AFP reported. Also read: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos takes a dig at Mark Zuckerberg, calls making of Facebook child's play Then after months of no communication, Saudi Prince sent another message to Bezos which contained a large video file which then led to the hacking of his phone. "We know from a comprehensive examination of the forensic artefacts on Bezos' phone that within hours of the encrypted downloader being received, a massive and unauthorised exfiltration of data from Bezos' phone began, continuing and escalating for months thereafter," the forensic report said. The analysis also suggested that the hackers may have used a type of spyware used in other Saudi surveillance cases, such as Pegasus-3 malware developed by the Israeli security firm NSO Group. The latest findings are set to worsen the relations between the world's richest man and the kingdom which had soured following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, who was also a columnist for the Washington Post. Meanwhile, Bezos on Wednesday posted a cryptic tweet as he shared a picture of a slain journalist with a hashtag Jamal. #Jamal pic.twitter.com/8ej1rUBXVb — Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) January 22, 2020 × (With inputs from agencies)

'Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true': Saudi Crown Prince Salman's text to Bezos

Amazon.com Inc&#39;s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday turned to an unusual source of inspiration for how to donate part of his wealth: Twitter.

&quot;I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now - short term - at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact,&quot; Bezos, one of the world&#39;s richest people with a net worth of more than $76 billion, said in a Twitter post.

&quot;If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too.)&quot;

The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings.

The e-commerce executive has said he will sell about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund his company Blue Origin, which aims to cut the cost of space travel and kick off entrepreneurship in the cosmos.

For philanthropy, Bezos has supported a foundation run by his parents that focuses on education. His family has also given more than $40 million to Seattle&#39;s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, not far from Amazon&#39;s headquarters.

Still, Bezos has yet to make charity a cornerstone of his work, like Microsoft Corp&#39;s Bill Gates or Facebook Inc&#39;s&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg have. Bezos has not joined them and 167 other of the world&#39;s richest people in pledging to give more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy.

Asked in an interview with Charlie Rose last year if he one day would rival Gates&#39; magnanimity, Bezos joked, &quot;Well, yeah, if there is anything left after I finish building Blue Origin.&quot;

His Twitter post had generated nearly 4,000 replies within three hours.

Recommendations ranged from food programs for children, to protecting forests and fighting homelessness.

&quot;Repurpose shipping containers to provide micro-homes for the homeless,&quot; tweeted journalist and analyst John Koetsier. &quot;Give them a safe, dry place to sleep, then work on further needs.&quot;

The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings

Amazon.com Inc's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday turned to an unusual source of inspiration for how to donate part of his wealth: Twitter. "I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now - short term - at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact," Bezos, one of the world's richest people with a net worth of more than $76 billion, said in a Twitter post. "If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too.)" The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings. The e-commerce executive has said he will sell about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund his company Blue Origin, which aims to cut the cost of space travel and kick off entrepreneurship in the cosmos. For philanthropy, Bezos has supported a foundation run by his parents that focuses on education. His family has also given more than $40 million to Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, not far from Amazon's headquarters. Still, Bezos has yet to make charity a cornerstone of his work, like Microsoft Corp's Bill Gates or Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg have. Bezos has not joined them and 167 other of the world's richest people in pledging to give more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy. Asked in an interview with Charlie Rose last year if he one day would rival Gates' magnanimity, Bezos joked, "Well, yeah, if there is anything left after I finish building Blue Origin." His Twitter post had generated nearly 4,000 replies within three hours. Recommendations ranged from food programs for children, to protecting forests and fighting homelessness. "Repurpose shipping containers to provide micro-homes for the homeless," tweeted journalist and analyst John Koetsier. "Give them a safe, dry place to sleep, then work on further needs."

Amazon CEO Bezos asks Twitter followers how to donate his money

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Bitcoin scammers hack Twitter accounts of high profile users in America

FBI leads probe into catastrophic Twitter breach

UN instructs officials not to use WhatsApp; not supported as a secure mechanism, says spokesman

'Jeff all of what you hear or told... it's not true': Saudi Crown Prince Salman's text to Bezos

Amazon CEO Bezos asks Twitter followers how to donate his money