Image via Complex Original
Millions of Facebook, Twitter, and, yes, MySpace users have had their profiles compromised at one point or another. And as crazy as it sounds, some have even had their accounts hijacked and held for ransom. YMCMB's Bow Wow became the latest victim when a hacker gained access to his Twitter account and posted an alleged photo of the rapper laying with his gay lover. The hacker then blackmailed the rapper for $10,000 to regain full control of his page. But Mr. 106 & Park isn’t the only one to have their social media account commandeered. From scorned ex-lovers to porn stars, take a look at 10 Social Media Accounts That Have Been Held For Ransom.
The Hilton Stalker
Date: Dec. 28, 2007
Jeffrey Weinberg earned his cybercriminal rep after serving a 10-month prison sentence for hacking Paris Hilton’s cell phone account three years back. He then transformed into a cyberstalker when he hacked 18-year-old Internet pin-up Amor Hilton’s MySpace and Stickam.com accounts and solicited nude photos and phone sex from the adult model. Once Hilton received harassing calls from the hacker (who was stupid enough to use his infamous alias, V.I.P., authorities bagged him and issued a two-year sentence for computer intrusion.
"SupermanDatHo"
Date: Aug. 28, 2008
DeAndre had his MySpace, YouTube, and every other major social media account hacked into by a 4chan community member. It didn’t take much work considering the rapper used the same password for each of his accounts: "SupermanDatHo." No really, that was his password. The anonymous hacker sent Soulja a text message demanding $2,500 as a trade-off. His response: "I said fuck you, bitch. Do what you do. This motherfucker got to be fucked up."
The 16-Year-Old Sextortionist
Date: July 7, 2009
An unnamed 16-year-old kept two female college students locked out of their MySpace and Facebook pages, requesting nude photos in exchange for full control of their profiles. According to the teen, he guessed the victims’ passwords, but the Oregon State Police one-upped him and subpoenaed both social networking sites to obtain the hacker’s address via traced emails. The kid seriously went through all that work to see naked college chicks when he had a universe of online porn right in front of him. How pathetic.
The Jilted Lover
Date: Feb. 25, 2010
Hell hath no fury like a man scorned? That seemed to be the case with Paul Franco. The Queens native went as far as to hold his girlfriend Jessica Zamora-Anderson’s Facebook account hostage, pulling immature stunts like switching her sexual preference to lesbian and requesting money to restore control of her profile. Zamora-Anderson was asked to fork up $390 and additional charges for having his car impounded weeks earlier. Her retaliation: Going to police and reporting the physical abuse she endured during their relationship. Sweet revenge.
Please Send Your Donations To...
Date: March 16, 2010
Kristen Francis had family and friends frightened after they read comments on her Facebook page indicating she was mugged in London and needed cash immediately. In reality, her page had been hijacked, and the online crooks planned to lock Francis out until they received allowances from her followers. The victim claimed she contacted the social network about the scam, yet nothing happened. Later, news outlet KGW followed up with Facebook and Francis was once again given control of her profile.
Connecticut's Facebook Perv
Date: Aug. 9, 2011
John Joaquim hacked his way into a woman’s Facebook and Gmail accounts, sending emails urging her to provide nude self-portraits in order to regain access to her accounts. As expected, police tracked the messages, and the 20-year-old perv turned himself to the authorities. Joaquim was brought up on extortion and computer crime charges.
The Revenger
Date: Dec. 30, 2011
Most techies remember Paul Christoforo as the former president of PR firm Ocean Marketing who committed career suicide when disparaging a customer in an email regarding a pre-ordered Avenger gaming controller. Once the story broke out across every major gaming website, he was fired from the company and replaced by Moisés Chiullan. But Christoforo didn't leave so quietly. He hijacked the company’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and told Chiullan in a phone call: “Eight months ago I locked down all this stuff so they wouldn't be able to f**k with me. If they don't give me what I want, it's war.” So much for damage control.
Twitter Seeks Ad Ransom For Verified Accounts
Date: Jan 10, 2012
Wait…what? It’s true. Early this year, The Fader publisher Andy Cohn tried obtaining verification for the magazine’s Twitter streams and was informed of the company's refusal to confirm real user accounts unless they dispute a fake Twitter account or drop $15,000 in advertising on the social site. Many suspected Twitter of holding verified accounts hostage for ad revenue. According to Ad Age, Cohn talked with a Twitter sales rep, who stated, “the only paths to verification are if an account has had impersonation issues or is an advertiser who's spent at least $15,000 over three months.”
Pornstar Fanatic Requests Private Skype Session
Date: March 28, 2012
Porn vixen and Penthouse cover girl Gina Lynn had one of her biggest (and most deranged) fans hack into her Twitter page and post racist comments. The cyberpunk promised to give up her passwords in return for a 30-minute private Skype session with the X-rated starlet. Fuming over the bigoted remarks left on her Twitter feed, Lynn refused the offer and deactivated her account instead. She apparently has a new Twitter handle where porn fans can stalk her: @Gina_Lynn_.
BowWowGate
Date: Aug. 23, 2012
Twitter ridiculousness at its finest: Last week, it was reported that Bow Wow's Twitter account was hacked by an unknown rapper who posted a photo of the YMCMB member laying with another man. The hacker demanded $10,000 for access to the account. Later, a Twitter user 7_I_Am claimed to have tweeted the image himself. Bow Wow announced that his page was hacked then took to Twitter with a ransom of his own: "RT i got 2500$ to any Detroit ni--a that finds @7_i_am and slaps the piss outta dis ni--a. Word!" StraightFromTheA.com later discovered the photo was not of Bow Wow.
