A Briton arrested in Spain for hacking the Twitter accounts of several personalities
A young Briton accused of hacking Twitter accounts has been arrested in Spain.
(Illustrative photo) Lionel BONAVENTURE AFP / File
Text by: François Musseau Follow
3 min
Accused among other things of hacking and extortion of funds, a young British 22-year-old was arrested Wednesday during an operation carried out by the Spanish and British police as well as the FBI.
In 2020, he led an attack on the Twitter accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden or Elon Musk.
Publicity
Read more
From our correspondent in Madrid,
During a collegial police operation, the police managed to get hold of one of the most wanted hackers.
The operation was centralized by the American FBI, with the help of the British authorities and the Spanish National Police.
It led to
the arrest of a 22-year-old British youngster
on Wednesday July 21
, Joseph O'Connor, who resided in Estepona, on the Andalusian coast of the sun.
He is accused of having committed several crimes, all of them computer, linked to hacking and also to extortion by attempting to fraudulently access protected computers.
In total, a dozen crimes weigh on the shoulders of Joseph O'Connor.
Political and financial objectives
The first count relates to the hacking of
130 Twitter accounts, and not the least.
These are accounts belonging to personalities like
Bill Gates
, Elon Musk, singer Kanye West, corporate accounts like Uber, the transport giant, or Apple, the computer giant. Political figures like Joe Biden or Barack Obama are also concerned.
From a police source, Joseph O'Connor would have acted in July 2020 in the company of other English-speaking hackers located in other countries.
All would have maneuvered on behalf of third parties whose identity has not transpired, through shell companies.
What is certain is that in addition to the intention to weaken the Democratic candidate Joe Biden, there was also the intention to extort money from various personalities.
For example, still from a police source, the young British hacker would have published a message on Elon Musk's account urging people to buy bitcoins in return for which these people would receive double.
Even if it had only lasted a few days, this scam would have made it possible to extract 120,000 dollars.
Towards extradition to the United States?
In all likelihood, the person will deny it outright.
As he had done a month ago when suspicion began to fall on him.
Suspicions raised by an investigation by the American FBI which would have succeeded in identifying and intercepting a kind of hacking platform.
Platform on which appeared a certain PlugWalkJoe, alias Joseph O'Connor, 22, residing in Estepona, Andalusia.
The Spanish courts will now take the case.
They are the ones who will decide whether or not to extradite him to the United States, which issued an international arrest warrant.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Social networks
Justice
Spain
UK
United States