At this point in time you've all probably heard the news and every other thing concerning the recent Twitter hack. It was a sophisticated cyber attack that seemed like something out of an episode of 24.
Much has been said about the skills of the hackers that pulled it off, but I believe their success didn't lie in their hacking skills but rather their exploitation of the greed and ignorance of their victims.
What Do I Mean?
The hackers were able to hack into twitter and broadcast their message to millions, but they didn't force the Bitcoins out of the wallets of their victim.
Every satoshi they received was sent willingly by someone. If their victims had a grasp of financial intelligence and had done some research, then maybe this financial tragedy would have been averted.
It's Not The First Time Scammers Have Tried To Get Bitcoins By Impersonating Twitter Influencers
Before now scammers used to create fake twitter accounts (they still do), where they'd attempt to defraud people using the same modus operandi of the current hack.
It doesn't take a genius to spot one of these scams. A little bit of common sense can be a life saver in situations like that.
Lets face it, do you really think an individual like Elon Musk would ever be in a position where he'd be doubling Bitcoins for you?.
Do you really believe Bill Gates would want you to send him $1000 worth of Bitcoin in exchange for favours?.
Come on!.
Some of these scam pitches look like they were written by 14 year olds but surprisingly people still fall for them.
Do People Need To Be Reoriented About Crypto?
Maybe they do.
A lot of people get into crypto thinking it's a get rich quick scheme where they can make huge profits overnight. The truth is it doesn't exactly work that way, and you're likely to make costly mistakes if you navigate the cryptosphere with that sort of idea.
Cryptocurrency is a risky venture fraught with many dangers that you have to be aware of lest you fall prey to them.
What's The Way Forward?
If you were a victim of the hack, get over it and move on. Even the best of us make mistakes sometimes. I've been a victim of a crypto scam in the past and I learnt my lessons.
One way to avoid falling victim to scams is to educate yourself. It's important to do your own research (DYOR) before investing your money into anything. A quick Google search can save you a lot of pain.
The basic online safety tips still apply i. e being on the lookout for phising links, using secure passwords etc.
Twitter isn't done for though.
Just like the numerous initiatives run by @theycallmedan have shown, Twitter is still a tool we can use to spread Hive to the world. I've been finding myself needing a twitter account lately and I might just create one. I happen to be one of those guys who don't have a functioning twitter account in 2020 (lol).
Conclusion
The TL:DR of this rant is that you gotta be safe and smart when it comes to crypto, because dangers abound.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Stories are usually fun but you won't be having any of that when you're telling stories that touch the heart with tears in your eyes.
That's all I've got for you today. Stay safe and stay creative people. Until later it's @jacksondavies signing out.
Image credits Pixabay, @jacksondavies
