Hackers briefly took control of the official YouTube channel of India’s Supreme Court on Friday, using the platform to promote XRP, a popular cryptocurrency.
The hackers posted content advertising XRP and made dubious claims about the coin’s future price, including a prediction that “Ripple will hit $2 this month.” Screenshots circulating on Twitter showed Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse allegedly endorsing the price prediction, though the company was uninvolved.
As a result, the Supreme Court's YouTube channel was temporarily taken down. Indian media reported that the channel promoted XRP as a cryptocurrency developed by “U.S.-based Ripple labs,” though Ripple and XRP now operate separately.
Rapid Restoration of the Channel
By the evening, the Supreme Court announced that its YouTube channel had been restored, with the fraudulent cryptocurrency content removed. Despite this, the Court has not yet provided further details on the breach or responded to media inquiries.
related reading:Ripple’s Legal Victory Fuels XRP Price Surge
Crypto Scams on the Rise
Cryptocurrency scams, particularly those involving XRP and similar coins, have grown more frequent. These scams often lure victims by promising enormous returns, convincing them to send digital assets to fraudulent crypto wallets. In some cases, hackers promote coins in which they hold a large stake, only to sell off their tokens after inflating the price, leaving buyers with worthless holdings.
The hacking of the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel is part of a broader trend. Just days earlier, a number of high-profile Twitter accounts, including those of Lenovo India, film director Oliver Stone, and footballer Neymar Jr., were similarly compromised to promote a Solana-based meme token.