UK hacker who breached Obama’s X account ordered to pay $5.4 million in Bitcoin

UK hacker who breached Obama’s X account ordered to pay $5.4 million in Bitcoin

A British man convicted of orchestrating the 2020 mass hijack of high-profile Twitter (now X) accounts has been ordered by UK prosecutors to hand over more than £4 million in cryptocurrency, marking a rare cross-border victory in the fight against digital crime.

British authorities say 26-year-old Joseph James O’Connor was involved in the July 2020 Twitter hack that compromised the accounts of well-known figures including former US President Barack Obama, presidential candidate Joe Biden, and tech-entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The heist, which targeted more than 130 accounts, involved sending fraudulent cryptocurrency solicitations through the hacked profiles. The hackers promised to double any Bitcoin sent to them, deceiving thousands of followers in the process.

In the US, O’Connor pleaded guilty in 2023 to charges including computer intrusion, wire fraud and money-laundering. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Last week the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service announced a civil recovery order has been obtained for £4.1 million (approx. $5.4 million) worth of Bitcoin and other crypto assets linked to the scam. Prosecutors say 42 Bitcoin tied to the scheme have been frozen and will be liquidated under court supervision.

“Even when someone is not convicted in the UK, we are still able to ensure they do not benefit from their criminality,” said CPS prosecutor Adrian Foster. The order follows an earlier asset-freezing order secured as part of O’Connor’s US extradition.

The 2020 hack stunned the online security community. The attackers gained access by manipulating Twitter employees and using internal tools to take control of the accounts. They then posted messages urging followers to send cryptocurrency to a specified wallet. While tweets claimed major figures such as Musk and Obama were “giving away” Bitcoin, the funds went instead into accounts controlled by the hackers.

The US Department of Justice traced lavish purchases and transfers from the stolen funds, but cryptocurrency’s anonymity and cross-border reach made recovery challenging. The British action is noteworthy because it used U.K. years-old proceeds-of-crime legislation to target digital assets even though O’Connor was prosecuted in the US.

Cybersecurity experts note that while high-profile arrests strike headlines, the amount of cryptocurrency still circulating from such hacks remains significant. The O’Connor case highlights that digital criminals can be held financially accountable even years after the offence. The court-appointed trustee will now oversee the sale of the seized Bitcoin and any further assets.

For victims and law enforcement the message is clear. Hacking major social media platforms for cryptocurrency gain is not immune to prosecution, whatever the jurisdiction. And when assets move across borders, international cooperation can still deliver results. The O’Connor case may serve as a blueprint for future cross-border crypto-crime enforcement.