Ghana President John Mahama’s authenticated X account was taken over by hackers for 48 hours to endorse a bogus cryptocurrency platform, his press secretary confirmed on Tuesday.
The hack started on Saturday but was only realized on Sunday when the hacked account began sharing endorsements for “Solanafrica,” a pseudonymous crypto project that misrepresented itself as being under the leadership of Mahama. The hackers called on followers to invest, claiming it was a revolutionary project aimed at making free transactions in Africa using the Solana blockchain.
Although the fake posts were removed once Mahama’s team detected the breach, the account still posted crypto-related material, including suggestions of releasing a new memecoin.
“The President’s X account was hacked, and we have moved swiftly to take control back,” spokesman Kwakye Ofosu said in an AFP report. “The account is now fully restored, and we request the public to disregard any questionable cryptocurrency-related posts.
The episode captures the growing tide of crypto fraud in Africa, where cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular, but regulations are still feeble. Most hackers take over verified accounts to promote fraudulent investment opportunities.
Mahama calmed his fans on Tuesday, posting, “My team has retrieved my account, collaborating with the X support team. Thank you for your queries and offers of help.”
Cybersecurity specialists advise that high-profile personalities need to bolster security protocols to avoid such invasions. “Two-factor authentication is not sufficient. Government officials need to monitor log-in attempts, restrict third-party access, and have continuous surveillance on their accounts,” stated Abubakar Issaka, a Ghanaian cybersecurity specialist at the Centre for Cyberwatch and Data Protection.
Such hacks have been done in the past, such as hacking of South African politician Julius Malema’s X account in 2023 and that of Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu in 2022. Ghanaian authorities have moved to prevent further abuse of Mahama’s account.
