It was unclear how exactly the culprits gained access to the @narendramodi handle or for how long it was compromised, but once the issue was raised with Twitter support, the account was “immediately secured,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a tweet of its own.
At least one of the now-deleted fraudulent tweets apparently attempted to promote one of the most classical cryptocurrency giveaway scams.
According to multiple screenshots, it claimed that “India has officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender”, purchased hundreds of coins and was “distributing them to all residents of the country.”
In an emailed statement to Reuters a Twitter spokesperson said an investigation revealed no signs of any other impacted accounts at present.
It’s not the first time that a Twitter account linked to Narendra Modi is being compromised and used to promote a crypto scam. Back in September 2020, the verified Twitter handle of Modi’s personal website, boasting some 2.5 million followers, was hit by a security breach, sending out a string of posts asking for “generous” donations to support a bogus coronavirus relief fund.
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