In Athens, Alabama, 25-year-old Eric Caunwilay was detained by the police for hacking the official account of the US Securities Commission (SEC) on the social network X*, previously known as Twitter, as reported by the Department of Justice.
An investigation revealed that on January 9, 2024, Caunwilay and his accomplices hacked the SEC account and posted a false message. The message, posted on behalf of the head of the commission, claimed that the regulator had allowed trading exchange funds (ETF) on Bitcoin on all official US exchanges, causing Bitcoin’s value to rise by $1,000.
SEC employees regained control of the account and reported the hacking. Once a clarification was issued, the value of Bitcoin dropped by $2,000. Interestingly, the commission was indeed considering the possibility of allowing Bitcoin trading at that time.
The investigation unveiled that the hackers used SIM card substitution for the hacking. Caunwilay, also known online as Ronin, Easymunny, and Agiantschnauzer, created a fake identity card with the help of his accomplices. He then visited a mobile phone store in Huntsville, where he obtained a new SIM card with the victim’s phone number.
After acquiring the SIM card, Caunwilay purchased a new iPhone with cash. Using the phone and the replaced card, he obtained access codes to the SEC account on X and shared them with his partners. Caunwilay was paid in bitcoins for successfully executing the SIM swapping. He later returned the used iPhone to a store in Birmingham in exchange for cash.
Further investigation into Caunwilay’s search history revealed searches for terms such as “hacking secgov,” “Telegram Sim Swap,” and “how to find out if the FBI is conducting an investigation against me.” He also searched for information on signs indicating law enforcement investigation, even if one is not directly involved.
Caunwilay now faces charges of criminal conspiracy and fraud involving the theft of personal data. The court proceedings for this case will take place in the Northern District of Alabama.