Suspect identified in Sydney Sweeney's SIM swap-enabled hack

Convicted UK hacker Gurvinder Bhangu (Gurv) may be behind the recent hack of actress Sydney Sweeney's X account, according to independent blockchain sleuth ZachXBT.

As reported by Cybernews, Sweeney's Verizon phone number was hijacked on July 2nd. On the same day, her X account was hacked to post crypto scams.

According to ZachXBT, screenshots showing Gurv receiving codes to log in to the account via the SIM swap appeared online shortly after the incident.

Additionally, ZachXBT claims to have identified another attack by "Gurv or his partner," as an ethereum (ETH) address connected to Sweeney's SIM swap sent 1.5 ETH to a crypto exchange on July 9th.

On that same day, another American actor, Bob Odenkirk, known for his roles in TV series such as Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, had his X account hacked. The sleuth noted, "A link to a meme coin was posted just like for Sydney Sweeney."

"Only this time they messed up and launched two coins (KIRK & SAUL) resulting in only a small amount profited," they added, noting that the two hacks resulted in a total scam profit of around $530,000.

The investigation also revealed that some of the stolen funds were sent to crypto casinos and used to purchase gift cards.

Meanwhile, ZachXBT claims that Gurv tried to take credit for other recent similar hacks and scam campaigns, such as those involving celebrities Hulk Hogan and 50 Cent. However, the sleuth noted that there is little evidence to support these claims.

In 2021, the then-23-year-old Bhangu pleaded guilty to blackmail, fraud, and other offenses and was jailed for 21 months. According to UK police, he hacked into the email, social media, and online accounts of multiple victims and attempted to blackmail a US citizen.