In a shocking event during the European morning hours, hackers managed to hijack the Supreme Court of India’s YouTube channel. The channel, which boasts a substantial subscriber base of over 217,000, was rebranded to Ripple, the seventh-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. The channel, primarily used for streaming live court cases, became a platform for a malicious scam.
Supreme Court of India’s YouTube Hijacked
After taking control, the hackers began broadcasting a fake live stream featuring Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse. The stream carried the title “Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC’s $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION.” This deceptive broadcast was a ploy to lure viewers into investing in a counterfeit cryptocurrency, promising them unrealistic returns.
To make matters worse, the hackers embedded a phishing link within the video. Clicking on this link prompted users to connect their cryptocurrency wallets. Once a user connected their wallet, the hackers could gain complete control and siphon off the user’s crypto assets without any need for authentication.
YouTube Deletes Channel and Fake Video
Recognizing the breach, YouTube swiftly acted to remove the compromised channel and the fraudulent video, citing violations of their Community Guidelines. The platform stated, “This channel was removed because it violated our Community Guidelines.”
In response to the incident, the Supreme Court of India issued an official statement: “This is to inform all concerned that the YouTube channel of the Supreme Court of India has been taken down. The services on the YouTube channel of the Supreme Court of India will be resumed shortly.”
