British Hacker Ordered to Forfeit £4M in Cryptocurrency Scam

In a major crackdown on cybercrime, a British hacker named Joseph O'Connor has been ordered to forfeit £4 million in stolen cryptocurrency. The 26-year-old from Liverpool was jailed for 5 years in the US last June for his role in a widespread Twitter account hijacking scheme.

O'Connor and his accomplices tricked Twitter staff into providing login details, allowing them to infiltrate the accounts of numerous celebrities and public figures. They then sent out fraudulent tweets from these high-profile accounts, encouraging followers to send Bitcoin in an investment scam. Victims included former US President Barack Obama, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and reality star Kim Kardashian.

In total, the hackers targeted over 130 accounts, including those belonging to other prominent figures like Warren Buffett and Benjamin Netanyahu. The scam messages reached an estimated 350 million Twitter users before the platform could regain control.

Following O'Connor's imprisonment, the value of the stolen cryptocurrency has skyrocketed, now worth over £4 million. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service has now successfully seized this digital asset, ensuring the hacker does not benefit from his crimes.