Last week we reported the unfortunate news that Mwango Capital had lost their X account to hackers. Now, it emerges that X is unable to verify that Mwango Capital owns the hacked account.
Eric Mokaya, CEO and Founder of Mwango Capital states that X claims they cannot verify he owns and runs the account. This is despite Eric having paid using his credit card for X premium. The hacked account has had a blue checkmark since March 2023.
“We’re writing to let you know that we’re unable to verify you as the account owner. We know this is disappointing to hear, but we can’t assist you further with accessing your account. If you know which email address/ phone number is associated with the account, and you no longer have access to that email or connected phone number, please contact your service provider for assistance.” : Read part of the email from X.
Currently, the account has been dormant after promoting cryptocurrency content briefly.
Hacked Account Confusion
In an effort to recover the account, X sent an email to the right email associated with the account. Later on, they claimed the email was not associated with the account. Furthermore, X had rightfully remitted Ad sharing revenue to Mwango Capital as it does every month to verified users.
How then they claim they cannot verify the rightful owner of the account is puzzling.
Mwango Capital states the account was using two-factor authentications (2FA). However, they got no notification when the account was hijacked. Remember, back in February, X changed its 2FA rules and limited the privilege to have text messages as a protection layer to X premium subscribers. So, it’s a surprise the hacked account had access to all 2FA options.
Currently, the dejected Mwango Capital CEO is wondering if he should demand a refund. He had paid the for annual premium package and has a number of months remaining.
Indeed, this is scary news for X users. If a verified account cannot be restored swiftly to the right owner, where does that leave the rest of the X users? Additionally, what are the privileges of paying for a subscription if X support is not helpful?