The YouTube channel of the Supreme Court of India was hacked today, displaying videos about the cryptocurrency XRP from Ripple Labs instead of its usual live streams of court hearings. YouTube has since removed the channel from its platform.
The incident follows a troubling trend where hackers compromise popular channels to promote cryptocurrency scams. As of now, there has been no official statement confirming the breach.
The Supreme Court's channel typically features live broadcasts of significant cases and matters of public interest. However, it was interrupted by a video titled "Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC's $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION," which went live shortly after the hack was discovered. Following the breach, all previous videos from the Supreme Court were made private.
This is not the first instance of Ripple Labs' videos appearing on hacked channels. Reports indicate that scammers have previously created accounts impersonating Ripple and its CEO, Brad Garlinghouse. Some of these accounts were reportedly stolen from established YouTubers, enabling scammers to gain access to large subscriber bases.
In 2020, Ripple Labs sued YouTube for failing to prevent scammers from impersonating Garlinghouse. The company accused the platform of allowing advertisements for fake cryptocurrency giveaways and ignoring complaints about impersonation.
Just last month, a Manhattan court ordered Ripple Labs to pay approximately $125 million in penalties to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for improperly selling the cryptocurrency XRP.
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