Microsoft India’s X Account Compromised by Cryptocurrency Scammers
The official Microsoft India account on X (formerly Twitter), which has over 211,000 followers, was hacked by cryptocurrency scammers. The hackers are impersonating Roaring Kitty, the account of well-known financial analyst and trader Keith Gill.
According to Bleeping Computer, the Microsoft India account has a gold verification badge, marking it as an officially verified organization on the platform. This adds extra legitimacy to the scammers’ posts.
How the Scam Works
The attackers are using the compromised account to reply to posts, luring Microsoft’s followers and other X users to a malicious website (presaIe-roaringkitty[.]com). The site claims to offer a presale of GameStop (GME) cryptocurrency. Additionally, bots are retweeting the hacked account’s posts, artificially boosting the reach of the scam and attracting even more victims.
Consequences for Victims
Users who connect their crypto wallets to the fraudulent site and authorize transactions end up having their assets stolen by the scammers.
Growing Trend of Verified Account Hacks
In recent months, X users have frequently fallen victim to account takeovers, with verified accounts (gold and gray badges), organizations, and even government entities being used to promote cryptocurrency scams.
For example, in early 2024, the @SECGov account belonging to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was hacked. The attacker falsely announced that U.S. authorities had approved the launch of Bitcoin ETFs “on all registered national securities exchanges,” which impacted the price of Bitcoin. X’s security team later explained that the hack was carried out via a SIM-swap attack, allowing the hacker to steal the phone number linked to the @SECGov account. At the time, two-factor authentication (2FA) was not enabled on the account.
This year, similar hacks have affected accounts belonging to Netgear and Hyundai’s Middle East and Africa division, with scammers using these accounts to promote cryptocurrency fraud as well.