John McAfee, Cyber-Security Pioneer, Says His Twitter Account Was Hacked

Advertisement
By Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: 29 December 2017 15:29 IST
Highlights
  • I am an expert but no control over Twitter's security: McAfee
  • The hacked account was used to promote lesser-known cryptocurrencies
  • His account was hacked despite two-step verification being active

Ace computer programmer and businessman John McAfee's has said that his Twitter account was hacked and was used to run 'coin of the day' series recommending and promoting lesser-known cryptocurrencies.

"Though I am a security expert, I have no control over Twitter's security. I have haters. I am a target. People make fake accounts, fake screenshots, fake claims," he tweeted

"I am a target for hackers who lost money and blame me. Please take responsibility for yourselves. Adults only please," he posted this message with a screenshot of his device which showed his calls and texts were hijacked by a hacker.

According to BBC, McAfee had activated the two-step verification that Twitter has in place as a security feature but "he believed the hacker had intercepted the authentication code."

"The first indication that I had been hacked was turning on my cell phone and seeing the attached image," he was quoted as saying.

"I knew at that point that my phone had been compromised. I was on a boat at the time and could not go to my carrier (AT&T) to have the issue corrected. All that the hacker did was compromise my Twitter account. It could have been worse," McAfee added.

The security pioneer is currently working on plans to sell the world's most "hack-proof" smartphone due for release in February.

 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Debuts With 1-inch CMOS Sensor, Improved Stabilisation
  2. Oppo Find X10 Key Specifications Leak as Find X9 Ultra Launch Nears
  3. YouTube Finally Lets You Turn Off Shorts From Your Feed With This Setting
  4. Best Mobiles Under Rs. 40,000 in India
  5. Lumio Introduces Vision 9 (2026) and Vision 7 (2026) TVs in India
  6. OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite Appears on Geekbench With This MediaTek Chip
  7. OnePlus Pad 4 to Launch in India With a 13,380mAh Battery on This Date
  8. Intel Launches Core Series 3 Processors With Up to 40 TOPS AI Compute
  9. YouTuber Demonstrates Flaw That Allows Money to Be Stolen From Locked iPhone
  1. DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Launched With 1-Inch CMOS Sensor, Improved Gimbal Stabilisation: Price, Specifications
  2. Intel Core Series 3 Processors Launched With Xe3 GPU, 40 TOPS AI Compute: Availability, Specifications
  3. OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite Appears on Geekbench With Dimensity 7400 Chip, Android 16
  4. Meta’s Planned Facial Recognition Feature for Smart Glasses Faces Opposition From Privacy Orgs
  5. Vivo X300 Ultra Pricing Surfaces Online via Retail Listing in Europe
  6. YouTube's New Option Lets Users Effectively Turn Off Shorts From Their Feed
  7. South Korea Plans Blockchain-Based Payments for Government Spending
  8. Amazon Launches AI Store to Help Users Discover and Shop AI-Powered Devices
  9. Motorola Razr Fold, Lenovo Legion Y70 to Launch Alongside Y900 Tablet During Lenovo's May 19 Event
  10. Apple Tap-to-Pay Vulnerability Demonstrated on Video as YouTuber Steals $10,000 From a Locked iPhone
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.