Nothing on the internet is safe, not even your Twitter handle. Naoki Hiroshima found this out when his websites and social media accounts were held for ransom by a hacker. All the hacker wanted in return was Hiroshima’s Twitter handle, @N, worth $50,000.

This surreal experience started when Hiroshima received a text message. It was from PayPal for a one-time validation code; somebody was trying to steal his PayPal account. He ignored it. Later he got an email from GoDaddy informing him that his account informing had been changed. He tried logging in. Nothing. He tried phoning them – in vain.

The representative asked me the last 6 digits of my credit card number as a method of verification. This didn’t work because the credit card information had already been changed by an attacker. In fact, all of my information had been changed. I had no way to prove I was the real owner of the domain name.

Try as he may, he could not prove that he was the victim of hacking. Thus Hiroshima’s GoDaddy accounts, which were used to run a number of his websites were in the possession of the hacker(s). It didn’t stop there: Hiroshima’s Facebook account was also compromised.

The hacker then started corresponding with Hiroshima, and informed him that the @N Twitter handle was the target. Having had enough of this ordeal Hiroshima reluctantly released his twitter account.

After the handle was his, the hacker explained exactly how he got hold of Hiroshima’s accounts, revealing huge holes in security at PayPal and GoDaddy.

Read Hiroshima’s letter about the blackmail here.

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[Source : FastCompany , Medium]