Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has confirmed that his official X (formerly Twitter) account (@JDMahama) has been restored after being compromised by cybercriminals on March 16, 2025.
Unauthorized Cryptocurrency Scam Promotion
The security breach led to unauthorized posts promoting a cryptocurrency scam, falsely linked to Solana Africa, an entity claiming to offer free blockchain payments across Africa. The fraudulent posts misrepresented Mahama as the leader of the project, misleading his over one million followers on the platform.
The first signs of the account takeover appeared when the former president’s account began posting promotional content about the Solana-based project, raising concerns among the public.
Mahama Expresses Gratitude After Recovery
Following intense efforts by his team, working in collaboration with X Support, Mahama announced the successful recovery of his account.
“Thank you for your inquiries and offers to assist. My team, working with X support, has successfully restored my account,” Mahama posted after regaining control.
Cyber Security Authority’s Intervention
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Ghana stepped in to investigate the breach and reassured the public that it was working closely with X and other cybersecurity agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
With social media increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals and scammers, this attack highlights the urgent need for heightened digital security measures among public figures and organizations.
Lessons and Preventive Measures
The breach serves as a wake-up call for political figures, businesses, and social media users to strengthen their cyber defenses, including:
Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for additional security.
Monitoring account activity to detect unusual behavior.
Avoiding links and promotions that could be used to deceive followers.
While Mahama has regained control of his account, questions remain about the perpetrators behind the hack and whether further cybersecurity reinforcements will be put in place to prevent such attacks on high-profile figures in Ghana.
The CSA’s ongoing investigation is expected to reveal more details about how the attack happened and what measures can be taken to safeguard digital platforms from cyber fraud and impersonation.
