Getting hacked is an unfortunately common situation that many of us may face in this technologically-advanced world, and it seems like well-known figures like politicians aren’t spared from it either.
Just yesterday (8 August), both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Malaysia had their Telegram accounts hacked.
Here’s what happened.
Malaysia PM’s Telegram Account Hacked
At 4.34pm yesterday (8 August), Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob took to Twitter to inform the public that his Telegram account had been hacked.
“The Prime Minister’s personal Telegram & Signal account has been hacked by irresponsible individuals,” the tweet read.
According to his statement, he asked members of the public to ignore messages that the account sent them as well.
However, the Prime Minister’s account did not reveal how the account was hacked or who it was hacked by.
The Prime Minister’s office in Malaysia later said that hackers tried to use the Prime Minister’s Telegram and Signal accounts for scams.
It also filed reports with the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Foreign Minister Got Hacked Hours Later
Barely a few hours after the Prime Minister’s ordeal, another politician in Malaysia also ended up having his Telegram account hacked by individuals.
Yesterday (8 August) night, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia also tweeted on the same social media platform that his Telegram account had been hacked.
“My Telegram account has been hacked by irresponsible individuals who have abused my name and picture through the application,” he wrote in his tweet.
Similarly, he also asked members of the public to ignore Telegram messages sent via his account and asked them to report the issue to the relevant authorities as well.
Law Minister’s Identity Misused on Telegram Last Month
And it seems like these two politicians aren’t the only Malaysian politicians who’ve been affected by hackers and scammers online.
Just at the end of last month, Malaysia’s Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had his identity misused on Telegram.
Although his account was not hacked, there were people online who used his name and photo to ask members of the public to send them money.
The Law Minister ended up filing a police report regarding the incident.
Featured Image: Twitter (@IsmailSabri60) + kln.gov.my