Monday 17 November 2025 17:09 GMT Bitcoin scam: A look back at the Twitter hack Joseph James O’Connor, 26, who orchestrated a high-profile 2020 Twitter hack, has been ordered to repay £4.1 million in Bitcoin. O’Connor pleaded guilty in the United States to charges including computer intrusion, wire fraud, and extortion, receiving a five-year prison sentence in 2023. The hack compromised numerous celebrity and public figure accounts, including those of Elon Musk, Joe Biden, and former President Obama, to solicit Bitcoin from followers. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) secured a civil recovery order to seize 42 Bitcoin and other crypto assets linked to O’Connor's scam. The CPS stated its ability to ensure criminals do not benefit from their actions, even if not convicted in the UK, with the seized assets to be liquidated by a court-appointed trustee. In full