Ghana President's X Account Hacked to Promote Crypto Scam

Ghana's President John Mahama's verified X account was compromised for 48 hours, during which cybercriminals promoted a fraudulent cryptocurrency project called Solanafrica. The hackers falsely claimed that the project was endorsed by Mahama, aiming to make payments across Africa free using the Solana blockchain. They urged Mahama’s followers to invest in the scheme, presenting it as an initiative to revolutionize financial transactions on the continent.

The breach was first noticed on Sunday, and the fraudulent posts were promptly deleted. However, the account continued to share crypto-related content, including hints about the launch of a new memecoin. Mahama’s spokesperson, Kwakye Ofosu, confirmed the breach and assured the public that the account had been fully restored. He warned the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from the handle.

Ofosu stated, “The President’s X account was compromised, and we have taken action to regain control. The account has now been fully restored, and we urge the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from the handle.” Mahama himself posted on the X account on Tuesday, “My team has restored my account, working with the X support team. Thank you for your enquiries and offers to assist.”

This incident highlights the growing concerns over the rise of crypto-related scams, particularly in regions with weak regulations, making digital assets vulnerable to fraud. Cybersecurity experts have emphasized that two-factor authentication alone is no longer sufficient to block increasingly sophisticated hackers. The breach underscores the need for enhanced security measures to protect high-profile accounts from such attacks.