Has this Twitter account been hacked?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential hacking of a Twitter account belonging to an established physicist at Fermilab. Participants explore the implications of unusual private messages received from the account and the broader context of online security, particularly for public figures in the scientific community.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes receiving informal and unexpected questions about investments from the physicist's Twitter account, raising suspicions about the account being hacked.
  • Another participant asserts that asking about investments in a first-time conversation is not common in Europe or the USA.
  • Some participants suggest directly contacting the physicist via email to clarify the situation, though concerns about how the physicist might react are mentioned.
  • A participant claims that the account has been hijacked and references a new Twitter handle that verifies this claim.
  • It is noted that Twitter has suspended the hijacked account, indicating a potential resolution to the issue.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of scams targeting individuals by impersonating well-known figures, emphasizing the victimization of the physicist.
  • Discussion includes the importance of Two Factor Authentication (2FA) for public figures to enhance online security.
  • Some participants seek clarification on what 2FA entails, leading to explanations about its function and importance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of concern about the legitimacy of the Twitter account, with some asserting it has been hacked while others discuss the implications of the messages received. There is no consensus on the best course of action or the nature of the situation.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the motivations behind the messages and the implications of the account being hacked. The discussion reflects a lack of definitive evidence about the account's status and the nature of the communication.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in online security, particularly in the context of social media for public figures, as well as those following developments in the physics community.

Wrichik Basu
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I don't post a lot on Twitter, but I do follow numerous people, mostly physicists in my field of interest, so that I can stay up to date on the latest research in the field. The account I am referring to is one such account. I don't know the user personally, but they are an established physicist at Fermilab, and a number of other eminent physicists and organizations follow him, including Short Baseline Near Detector, CLIC, STFC Particle Physics, MicroBoone and even PF. (Hence, tagging @Greg Bernhardt if he can throw some light.)

I know threads in General Discussion are not crawled by search engines, but even then, I am not posting the link to the account in question. Just go to Twitter and search for this: <at> j l y k k e n Do remove the space and replace the symbol as usual.

This person contacted me via private message a day back asking "Hello Man, how are you doing today?" I responded, stating that I am fine, and hope they are doing well too! The next question was, "How is your week going?" A bit informal question to ask a stranger, but I responded with "The usual routine." Next question: "How was work?" At this point, I thought they must have confused me for someone else, as my profile clearly states that I am a student. So, I wrote along the lines of "I am a student and do not work. Studies + work cannot be really done in my country etc."

Now they asked, "What about investments?" I stopped replying.

There is definitely something wrong here. Why would an established physicist from Fermilab, without any context, ask me about my investments? This is undoubtedly something no one is eager to share with anyone else.

Is their account hacked? Apparently, they posted last in December 2022.

Not saying that I will be sharing anything if the account is not hacked, but still curious why someone would ask such a question. Is this type of question in a first-time conversation common in Europe/USA?
 
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Wrichik Basu said:
Is this type of question in a first-time conversation common in Europe/USA?
Absolutely not, asking about your investments.
 
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Sent an email anyway.
 
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Wrichik Basu said:
That's what I thought initially, but if the account is not hacked and he himself did it, I don't know how he would take the email.
No reliable correspondent would be asking you about investments just out of the blue. It's an intro to a scam.
 
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Yes, the account `@jlykken` has been hijacked. There is a new Twitter handle `@jlykken2` from the same person that verified the hijack!
 
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And Twitter seems to have suspended the hijacked account.
 
Yes, it is really sad to see that some people are trying to scam people in the guise of a well-known Physicist. He too is also a serious victim here. We have to keep in mind that He is 65 and has an illustrious career.
 
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  • #10
Archiemedes said:
Yes, it is really sad to see that some people are trying to scam people in the guise of a well-known Physicist. He too is also a serious victim here. We have to keep in mind that He is 65 and has an illustrious career.
2FA is very essential nowadays, especially if you are a famous figure.
 
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Wrichik Basu said:
2FA is very essential nowadays, especially if you are a famous figure.
2FA ???
 
  • #13
phinds said:
2FA ???
berkeman said:
I'm guessing Two Factor Authentication, like after you enter your password, a code is sent to your cell phone for you to type in to finish your login...
Yeah, 2-factor authentication. Either via text message or from an authenticator app.
 
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