The purported mastermind behind a large-scale Twitter hack that impacted major accounts this month has been named. Graham Ivan Clark, a 17-year-old from Florida, orchestrated the attack, the New York Times reports. Victims included Kanye West, Vice-President Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg, and President Barack Obama, as well as dozens of other high-profile accounts and brands. On July 15, hacked accounts began tweeting similar language about “giving back to the community” and doubling any Bitcoin users sent to them. This was, clearly, a scam. The Times reports it “netted Bitcoin worth more than $180,000.” It was the largest hack in Twitter history.
Clark — who did not conduct the hack alone but is being described as its architect — was already under investigation. “In April, the Secret Service seized over $700,000 worth of Bitcoin from him, according to legal documents,” the Times also reports. He will be tried as an adult. Two other people, 22-year-old Nima Fazeli, also from Florida, as well as 19-year-old Mason Sheppard from the United Kingdom, have also been charged, The Verge reports. They face five years in prison and a $250,000 fine and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, respectively. Clark faces 30 felony counts.
Source: Vulture