04.04.2026 12:00
X,the platform formerly known as Twitter, is introducing an automatic account‑locking mechanism for first‑time cryptocurrency references. When a user posts about crypto for the first time, X will suspend the account and require additional verification before any further activity is permitted, directly countering a surge of hijacking campaigns that exploit social trust to promote fraudulent tokens.
Head of Product Nikita Bier affirmed the new policy, noting that it specifically attacks the monetary lure of crypto‑phishing attacks. The rollout follows a series of high‑profile breaches, most recently the April 1 intrusion of Benjamin White, founder of Predictfully, whose compromised profile was leveraged to disseminate scam material and extract a $4,000 ransom. Bier projects that the feature will eradicate roughly 99 % of the current phishing incentives and has publicly criticized Google for inadequately filtering phishing emails at the Gmail level.
The lock engages the moment an account publishes its inaugural crypto‑related message. Upon activation, the profile becomes inaccessible until the owner completes a verification step. Bier described the initiative as neutralizing the primary vector: attackers infiltrate an account through deceptive emails, oust the original proprietor, and then wield the account’s established follower base to champion counterfeit tokens, bogus giveaways, and meme‑coins.
“This should kill 99 % of the incentive,” Bier asserted in reply to a user who recounted losing control of their profile after receiving a phishing alert masquerading as a copyright violation. The assailant deployed a flawlessly replicated login page to harvest both credentials and two‑factor authentication codes, locked the victim out, and began promoting the fraudulent scheme.
Crypto‑focused account hijacking has been a persistent challenge on X since its predecessor, Twitter, first emerged. The auto‑lock builds on previous platform actions aimed at curbing mention‑spam and coordinated bot behavior used in digital‑currency promotions. Long‑standing users who have never referenced cryptocurrency may also encounter the lock when their first crypto‑related post triggers the safeguard.
