Ghana President John Mahama’s X Account Hacked

Ghana’s President John Mahama’s verified X account was compromised for 48 hours, during which cybercriminals used it to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency initiative, his spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

The breach began on Saturday and was noticed by Sunday when the hackers started posting endorsements for Solanafrica. These posts falsely claimed that the project was “led by Ghana’s President John Mahama to make payments across Africa free using the Solana blockchain.”

The hackers encouraged Mahama’s followers to invest in the scheme, falsely presenting it as an effort to revolutionize financial transactions across the continent. Although the fraudulent posts were deleted after Mahama’s team became aware of the breach, the account continued to share crypto-related content, including teasers about a new memecoin launch.

“The President’s X account was compromised, and we have taken action to regain control,” said spokesman Kwakye Ofosu on Tuesday. “The account has now been fully restored, and we urge the public to disregard any suspicious cryptocurrency-related posts from the handle.”

This incident raises alarms over the increasing number of crypto scams in Africa, where digital assets are growing in popularity, but regulatory measures remain weak. Scammers often hijack verified accounts to push fake investment schemes.

“My team has restored my account, working with the X support team. Thank you for your inquiries and offers to assist,” Mahama posted on his X account on Tuesday.

Earlier incidents have also highlighted the vulnerability of prominent figures to similar attacks. In July 2023, the X account of South African opposition leader Julius Malema was hacked to promote a fraudulent token project. Similarly, in 2022, Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu’s account was hijacked, flooding his timeline with fake crypto giveaways.

Cybersecurity experts emphasize the need for high-profile figures to strengthen security measures. “Prominent personalities, especially those in government, need to implement stringent backend security checks,” said Abubakar Issaka, a cybersecurity expert at Ghana’s Centre for Cyberwatch and Data Protection. “Two-factor authentication alone is no longer enough. They must also monitor login activities, limit third-party app access, and have a dedicated team ensuring 24/7 surveillance of their accounts to detect and neutralize any suspicious activity before it escalates.”

Solana, a cryptocurrency with lower transaction fees than Bitcoin and Ethereum, has gained popularity in Africa and is increasingly used by scammers to deceive investors. Ofosu confirmed that authorities had taken necessary steps to prevent further misuse of Mahama’s account.