Microsoft India’s X account on Twitter has been hacked by crypto scammers who posed as ‘Roaring Kitty,’ the well-known stock trader Keith Gill. The hackers took advantage of Gill’s recent comeback, which also influenced GameStop’s shares to increase by 38.8% and close at $23.14 on Friday. The hackers used the Microsoft India X account, which is officially verified with a gold tick, to post a series of Roaring Kitty videos that directed users to an unverified website selling fake GameStop (GME) cryptos. When users visited the phishing site, their crypto assets were exposed to the threat actors. The Microsoft India X account, with over 211K followers, has since deleted its profile picture and account header, but the last fraudulent post remains. It is unclear if the account is still under the control of the hackers. The incident may be a result of a SIM-swapping attack, where scammers exploit weaknesses in two-factor authentication. Similar attacks have targeted other accounts, including the US regulator SEC’s X account and accounts for Netgear and Hyundai MEA. These attacks aim to infect victims with cryptocurrency wallet drainer malware. In 2024, several major companies and crypto influencers have fallen victim to scams that lure customers with fake promotions. In December 2023, scammers used Google Ads to target victims with counterfeit versions of popular crypto platforms, resulting in the theft of $59 million from over 63,000 victims.
