Ghana's President John Mahama's verified X account, formerly known as Twitter was hijacked by hackers for a 48-hour period, according to an official statement released Tuesday by his spokesperson.
The security breach began Saturday and was detected the following day when unauthorized posts appeared on the account.
During the compromise, the hackers used the president's platform to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency project called Solanafrica. The hackers published fake endorsements that appeared to come from the Ghanaian leader, attempting to legitimize what was actually a scam operation.
The president's team has since regained control of the account. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges public figures face with digital security and the increasing sophistication of cryptocurrency-related fraud schemes targeting high-profile social media accounts.
During the unauthorised access by the cybercriminals, they were posts from the individual “led by Ghana’s President John Mahama to make payments across Africa free using the Solana blockchain.”
Following the breach of President Mahama's verified X account, the hackers encouraged his followers to invest in what they falsely described as a revolutionary financial initiative for Africa. The cybercriminals presented the Solanafrica scheme as a legitimate opportunity to transform monetary transactions across the continent.
Upon discovering the unauthorized access, the President's team removed the fraudulent investment solicitations. However, the account security wasn't immediately restored, as the hackers continued posting cryptocurrency-related content for some time afterward. These subsequent posts included promotional messages about an upcoming memecoin launch.
“The President’s X account was compromised, and we have taken action to regain control,” spokesman Kwakye Ofosu told journalists on Tuesday.
“The account has now been fully restored, and we urge the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from the handle.”
The incident demonstrates how cybercriminals exploit the credibility of high-profile accounts to lend legitimacy to fraudulent investment schemes, potentially putting followers at financial risk.
“My team has restored my account, working with the X support team. Thank you for your enquiries and offers to assist,” Mahama posted on the X account on Tuesday.
The recent hack of Ghana President John Mahama's X account follows a concerning trend of high-profile African figures being targeted for cryptocurrency fraud schemes. In July 2023, South African opposition leader Julius Malema experienced a similar breach when hackers took control of his X account to promote a fraudulent token project.
This pattern continued from 2022, when Nigerian business magnate Tony Elumelu's social media presence was compromised. In that instance, cybercriminals flooded his timeline with fake cryptocurrency giveaway offers designed to deceive his followers.
Cybersecurity specialists emphasize that these incidents highlight a critical need for enhanced security protocols among public figures. They recommend that high-profile individuals implement stronger safeguards—such as two-factor authentication, regular password changes, and limited access credentials—to protect their social media accounts from unauthorized access that could potentially harm their followers and damage their reputations.
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