SEC's X Account Gets Hacked, Makes a Fake Bitcoin Spot ETF Announcement
An unknown actor gained access to the US Securities and Exchange Commission's unsecured X account via a sim swap attack and made a fake Bitcoin spot ETF approval announcement, causing a stir in the markets a day before its much-anticipated decision on spot Bitcoin ETFs.
- "The @SECGov X account was compromised, and an unauthorized post was posted. The SEC has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products," wrote SEC and its Chairman Gary Gensler on X.
"We can confirm that the account @SECGov was compromised and we have completed a preliminary investigation. Based on our investigation, the compromise was not due to any breach of X’s systems, but rather due to an unidentified individual obtaining control over a phone number associated with the @SECGov account through a third party," said X Safety.
- "We can also confirm that the account did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time the account was compromised. We encourage all users to enable this extra layer of security. More information and tips on how to keep your account secure can be found in our Help Center."
- Some accounts on X also shared some screenshots displaying unusual SEC account activity before and after posting the main fake announcement post.
- The SEC faces a final deadline Wednesday to rule on at least one of 11 applications for exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin.
