So, picture this: an Alabama man, Eric Council Jr., 25, just casually decides to hack the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) X account. You know, because why not? It’s not like they have anything important to say, right? 😏
In a plot twist that even Hollywood would roll their eyes at, Eric confessed in a Washington, D.C. federal court that he and his band of merry misfits took control of the SEC’s account on January 9, 2024. Their big reveal? A fake announcement claiming that the SEC had approved Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. Spoiler alert: they hadn’t. But for a hot minute, Bitcoin’s price shot up over $1,000, making everyone think they were about to get rich quick. Thanks, Eric! 💸
Guilty Plea in Hacking of the SEC’s X Account That Caused Bitcoin Value Spike @DOJCrimDiv @FBIWFO @FBIBirmingham
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) February 10, 2025
Now, how did our hero pull off this digital heist? With a SIM swap attack, of course! Because nothing says “I’m a criminal mastermind” like creating a fake ID with stolen personal details. Eric, who apparently moonlights as “Ronin” and “Easymunny” (seriously, who names themselves that?), managed to impersonate the victim and hijack their phone number. His co-conspirators then took the liberty of posting the misleading tweet under the SEC chairman’s name. Because nothing screams “trustworthy” like a tweet from a guy named Easymunny. 🙄
After being arrested in October 2024, Eric pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. He’s looking at up to five years in prison, which is basically a vacation for someone who thought hacking the SEC was a good idea. His sentencing is set for May 16, so mark your calendars, folks! 🗓️
As part of his plea deal, Eric agreed to hand over a cool $50,000 in Bitcoin. You know, the funds he received for his little fraudulent escapade. And just to add a cherry on top, this whole debacle happened just days before the SEC actually approved Bitcoin ETFs. Talk about bad timing! The SEC managed to regain control of its account, but not before exposing some serious security vulnerabilities. Who knew financial regulatory institutions could be so… vulnerable? 🤷♀️
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2025-02-11 10:45