Hacker Behind Major Twitter Breach Forced to Repay Millions
A British man responsible for a massive 2020 Twitter hack that compromised the accounts of Elon Musk and other global celebrities has been ordered by UK authorities to repay £4.1 million worth of Bitcoin. Joseph James O'Connor, aged 26, was a central figure in the high-profile cyberattack that sent shockwaves through social media.
The Elaborate Bitcoin Scam and International Prosecution
O'Connor pleaded guilty in the United States to multiple charges, including computer intrusion, wire fraud, and extortion. This led to a five-year prison sentence in 2023. His arrest took place in Spain in 2021, after which he was extradited to the US following a ruling by the Spanish High Court.
Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announced on Monday, 17th November 2025, that it had successfully obtained a civil recovery order to seize 42 Bitcoin and other crypto assets directly linked to the scam. The fraud involved hijacking prominent Twitter accounts to solicit digital currency from followers, with false promises to double their money.
Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, stated: "Joseph James O'Connor targeted well-known individuals and used their accounts to scam people out of their crypto assets and money. We were able to use the full force of the powers available to us to ensure that even when someone is not convicted in the UK, we are still able to ensure they do not benefit from their criminality."
Widespread Impact and Lasting Consequences
The attack in July 2020 was one of the most significant social media breaches in history. It compromised the accounts of then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former President Barack Obama, and other figures like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Kim Kardashian.
The hackers used social engineering techniques to gain access to Twitter's internal systems. Once in control, they posted tweets from the verified accounts, urging followers to send Bitcoin to a specific wallet address. The incident was so severe that Twitter, now known as X, was forced to temporarily restrict all verified accounts from posting to contain the fallout.
The US justice department noted that O'Connor's criminal activities also included online extortion and cyberstalking. The civil recovery order, granted last week, follows a property freezing order that was secured during his extradition proceedings. A court-appointed trustee will now liquidate the seized crypto assets.
