UK Twitter hacker who breached Obama’s account ordered to repay $5.4m in Bitcoin
A British hacker involved in the massive 2020 Twitter breach — a cyberattack that compromised accounts belonging to Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk and other global figures — has been ordered to repay $5.4 million in Bitcoin.
UK prosecutors said Joseph James O’Connor, 26, must forfeit 42 Bitcoin and other crypto assets tied to the scam. O’Connor pleaded guilty in the U.S. to computer intrusion, wire fraud and extortion, and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
O’Connor was arrested in Spain in 2021 and later extradited to the U.S., where authorities said the evidence and victims were primarily located.
British prosecutors noted that the civil recovery order ensures criminals “do not benefit from their actions,” even if not convicted in the UK. The seized crypto will be sold off under court supervision.
The 2020 hack forced Twitter (now X) to briefly lock verified accounts after attackers used high-profile profiles — including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Kim Kardashian — to push a Bitcoin scam.
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