Sesame Street's Elmo X Account Overrun with Offensive Messages, Hacker Claims West Australian Connection
A disturbing incident has unfolded on the popular social media platform X, as the official account for beloved childhood hero Elmo was hacked early Monday morning. The malicious takeover left users aghast as vile messages, including antisemitic, racist, and transphobic language, were posted on the page.
The shocking turn of events saw many Australians waking up to find Elmo trending online, but were shocked to discover it was due to the explicit content shared by the hacker. The posts, which included references to US President Donald Trump, were deemed too reprehensible for public consumption.
"Donald Trump is Netanyahu's puppet because he is in the Epstein files," one post read, referencing the relationship between the leaders of the United States and Israel. "Release the files @RealDonaldTrump," another post said, before using an offensive term to describe the US President. A third post even called for harm against the Jewish people.
One individual who replied to the hacker's post saying they were going to mute the Sesame Street account was met with a swift response from the Elmo account, which contained a transphobic slur. This callous move only added insult to injury as fans of the red puppet took to social media to voice their outrage.
The hacked account's contents sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for greater action to be taken by X to prevent such incidents in the future. In response to the breach, a representative from Sesame Workshop confirmed that Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages.
"Elmo's X account was compromised today by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts," the rep said. "We are working to restore full control of the account." Fans of the beloved character expressed their support for Sesame Workshop, hoping that they would take swift action to address the issue.
The Elmo X account in question has more than 645,000 followers and has existed on the platform since November 2012. The breach highlights the ongoing need for social media platforms to prioritize digital security and ensure that their users are protected from such malicious activities.
What's Behind the Breach?
A hacker claimed that a Perth local was connected to the breach, stating that one of the named hackers is "residing in Western Australia". However, there is no confirmation yet as to what the man's connection is to this hacking, other than him being named in the Elmo account's post.
The identity of the individual who contributed to the hack has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, the revelation that a West Australian was involved adds to the concern over the potential for cybercrime in the region.
A Response from X
The hacked Elmo X account's post also revealed that it contained information about hackers and their methods. The account stated that one of the named hackers, H** aka H**** M***** hacks Twitter accounts, and his partner @c****3***, aka I**** J**** P******, residing in Western Australia launches and bundles them, then with the help of his friend @w******_*** they shill it to FNF.
The account of the Western Australian has since been banned from X for violations of the platform's rules. This swift action highlights the need for greater accountability among social media users who engage in malicious activities.