Hackers take over prominent Twitter accounts in simultaneous attack (coindesk.com)

Article summary

A simultaneous attack has taken over prominent Twitter accounts, including those of high-profile individuals and cryptocurrency accounts, to post scam tweets. The tweets appear to be posted from Twitter's web app, suggesting an issue within Twitter itself. The scam tweets are attempting to collect Bitcoin payments, with some users falling victim to the scam. The total amount collected is relatively small, around $55,000.

Main themes

• Twitter hack
• scam tweets
• Bitcoin payments
• vulnerability exploit
• social media security
• financial impact

What commenters say

• The attack is likely due to a Twitter exploit or a vulnerability in an automated tweeting system.
• The amount of money being collected is not worth the risk and attention the hackers are receiving.
• Some trading bots may have been affected by the fake tweets, potentially causing significant damage.
• Twitter's ability to quickly take down tweets when they want to has been highlighted by the swift removal of the scam tweets.
• The hackers may be sending themselves money to create the illusion of activity and legitimacy.
• The attack could have been prevented with a bug bounty policy that rewards vulnerability discoveries.
• Google and other platforms need to do more to prevent scams and fake content from being spread.
• The financial impact of the hack on Twitter and other affected companies may be more significant than the amount collected by the hackers.