10.06.2025 07:26
Paraguay's President Santiago Peña's verified X account fell victim to a sophisticated hacking attack on Monday, resulting in the dissemination of a fraudulent Bitcoin-related message. The deceptive post, entirely in English but accompanied by a deceptively official-looking Spanish image, falsely announced Paraguay's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender and the creation of a substantial $5 million Bitcoin reserve fund. Authorities swiftly issued a public warning, urging citizens to disregard any communication originating from the compromised account until further notice.
Investigations into the breach commenced immediately. Paraguay's cybersecurity team initiated a collaborative effort with X's security department to identify the perpetrators and pinpoint the vulnerabilities exploited in the intrusion. Initial findings indicated unauthorized access, prompting a thorough forensic examination to determine the extent of the compromise and the methods employed.
The timing of this cyberattack, according to Reuters, aligns suspiciously with a recent surge in cryptocurrency scams plaguing Latin America's social media landscape. This fraudulent activity commonly manifests as sponsored posts or fabricated official announcements designed to lure unsuspecting individuals into high-risk investments. The hacker's tactics mirrored this pattern precisely, highlighting the increasing sophistication of these digital attacks.
This incident bears a striking resemblance to a similar incident earlier this year in Argentina, where President Javier Milei inadvertently promoted a short-lived cryptocurrency, triggering public condemnation and highlighting the potential for reputational damage associated with cryptocurrency endorsements. In contrast, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele's 2021 decision to legalize Bitcoin, while controversial, represented a deliberate policy choice, unlike the fraudulent claim propagated via President Peña's hacked account.
This latest attack isn't an isolated incident for Paraguay. A previous wave of cyberattacks in May targeted over a dozen public agencies, including crucial entities like the civil aviation regulator, underscoring the vulnerability of government digital infrastructure to increasingly sophisticated attacks and the ongoing need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.
