Hacker accused of manipulating Bitcoin price with a fake SEC Tweet was arrested after allegedly looking up 'what are some indicators the FBI is after you?

A now-deleted Tweet from @SECGov (the X account of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) on January 9, 2024 stated that the SEC "approved for Bitcoin ETFs to be listed on all registered national security exchanges," causing Bitcoin's price to increase by more than $1,000. The SEC had not done so. SEC Chair Gary Gensler announced minutes later that the SEC's X Account had been hacked. The fraudulent tweet was part of a scheme designed to manipulate Bitcoin prices.

According to the FBI, the hacker behind this scheme is Eric Council Jr. A 25-year-old Alabaman man, Council was arrested today on suspicion of working with other conspirators to take unauthorized access to the SEC X accounts with a SIM switch (via The Verge).

According to the indictment filings, Council--aka "Ronin," aka "AGiantSchnauzer," aka "@Easymunny"--allegedly worked alongside other hackers to gain access to the personal information of a federal employee with access to the @SECGov account. Council then used the ID card printer he had at home, something only good citizens would have. He printed an ID card that matched his face to the federal employee's information.

Indictment states that Council, with a fraudulent ID, went to an AT&T store and obtained a SIM card tied to the victim’s phone number. This allowed him to initiate account recovery procedures for victim’s social media accounts. Council was able, with the 2FA recovery codes sent to his SIM-swapped mobile phone, to access @SECGov and tweet a false statement to boost Bitcoin prices.

Council is alleged to have committed four crimes before the tweeting to manipulate markets was even a thing. I think if I were running Bitcoin scams 25 years ago, I might have set my sights lower than the US Federal Government, but I don't seem to have @Easymunny’s edge.

Council's alleged misdeeds are particularly amusing because of what he did afterthe SEC Hack went down. The indictment states that after returning the iPhone he had allegedly purchased for the sole purpose to SIM-swap (instead throwing it into a pond like any reasonable person), Council began searching terms related the hack including:

• "SECGOV hack"
• "telegram sim swap"
• How can I be sure that I am under FBI investigation?
• What are the signs you are being investigated by law enforcement or FBI even if they have not contacted you"
• What are some signs the FBI is after me?
• "Verizon store list"
• "Federal identity theft statute
• How long does it take for a telegram account to be deleted?

It's unclear if these alleged searches directly contributed to Council's arrest. But if you are considering searching for "am I about be completely hoisted by the crimes I may or may have not committed," I advise against it. You're likely to get a negative answer if you ask.

You don't have to phrase your Google search like a question. It's fine.