The tweets, which all contain similar wording, include a call to action for readers to transfer cryptocurrency that “will be sent back doubled.”
“Only doing this for the next 30 minutes! Enjoy,” reads one tweet.
Brands like Apple, Uber and HQ Trivia were also impacted by the scam, which was billed in several tweets as an act of generosity “due to COVID-19.” Bezos, Gates and Musk are among the 10 richest people in the world, with tens of millions of followers on Twitter.
Many of the tweets were taken down within minutes of being posted.
“We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly,” Twitter said in a statement at 5:45 p.m. ET.
We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 15, 2020
Twitter later said some users would be unable to publish new tweets or reset their password while the issue was addressed.
In a statement to ABC News, Biden’s campaign said Twitter “locked down the account immediately following the breach and removed the related tweet” and added that they “remain in touch with Twitter on the matter.”
More than $100,000 has reportedly already been funneled to those responsible, presumably by people who believed the messages were legitimate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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