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11/19/2025
UK Man Who Hacked Musk, Obama Accounts for Bitcoin Scam Ordered to Pay Back $5 Million
Yahoo News
A British man that hacked the social media profiles of former president Barack Obama, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and other celebrities and brands to scam people out of their Bitcoin has been ordered to pay it back—over $5 million worth of BTC and other coins at the current price.
Joseph James O'Connor was charged for his role in a 2000 SIM-swapping scheme that led to the takeover of social media profiles for dozens of major accounts, and the subsequent theft of cryptocurrency valued at $794,000 at the time.
“Joseph James O’Connor targeted well-known individuals and used their accounts to scam people out of their crypto assets and money,” said Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Proceeds of Crime Division Adrian Foster, in a statement.
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