A 25-year-old Alabama man was arrested by the FBI earlier this year for his role in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account takeover. As a result of the hack a Falsely claiming that bitcoin ETFs have been approved by a regulator that temporarily juiced bitcoin prices.
The FBI has now identified Eric Council Jr. as one of the individuals allegedly behind the exploit. Council was charged with aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit device fraud, Department of Justice. The SEC previously said that his X account a The indictment provides new details on how the attack was allegedly carried out.
according to The council worked with conspirators it linked to SMS and encrypted messaging apps. These unnamed individuals allegedly sent him the personal information of someone known as “CL” who had access to an SEC X account. The Board then used the information to print a fake ID and use it to buy a new SIM in his name, as well as a new iPhone, according to the DoJ. He then coordinated with others to access the SEC’s X account, change its settings and send malicious tweets, the indictment said.
A tweet from @SECGov that came the day before the SEC 11 spot bitcoin ETFS caused bitcoin prices to temporarily rise above $1,000. He too About why a high-profile account is not protected by multi-factor authentication during an attack. “Today’s arrest demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable bad actors who undermine the integrity of financial markets,” SEC Inspector General Jeffrey said in a statement.
The indictment further states that the Board allegedly conducted some incriminating searches on his personal computer. Searches included: “SECGOV hack”, “telegram sim swap”, “how can I be sure I’m being investigated by the FBI”, “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI? If you haven’t contacted them “, “what are some signs that the FBI is after you,” “Verizon store list,” “federal identity theft law” and “how long does it take to delete a telegram account,” the indictment said.
