Cyberattacks | Software security

Irish Police X Accounts Hacked to Promote Crypto

Irish police X accounts reaching hundreds of thousands seized by crypto scammers; control regained, no police data lost. Investigation ongoing.

By Content Team

Oct 19, 2026

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Two official Irish police X accounts were hijacked by crypto scammers on the night of October 14. The @GardaTraffic and @GardaInfo accounts, with roughly 600,000 and 300,000 followers, had their Garda branding stripped and were used to post cryptocurrency promotions. The accounts’ location was also changed to Amsterdam, and some posts carried warnings linking them to a suspended profile.

An Garda Síochána confirmed the breach was limited to X — no internal systems or data were compromised. By the evening of October 15, the force had regained control of both accounts, which will stay inactive while the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau investigates. Police are urging the public not to engage with any content posted during the breach, or with accounts posing as either profile

Source: BBC News

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