Burger King and Jeep Twitter Accounts Compromised by Hackers

Twitter Page of Burger King after being hacked,
the blue check mark next to the 'McDonalds' text states that the account
has been verified by Twitter as being authentic.

Looking at Twitter, you might think April Fools Day came early this year, especially if you follow Burger King or Jeep. On Monday, hackers were able to log into the twitter account of Burger King, where they change the account name to McDonalds and added a McDonalds logo as their icon, all while retaining the '@burgerking' handle and coveted Twitter verification, symbolized with a blue check mark.
Furthermore, the header photo was changed to an advertisement for McDonalds' Fish McBites. The hacker used the account to state that McDonalds had purchased Burger King because "the whopper flopped." They also changed the account location to state "In a hood near you" and tweeted a few obscene tweets. Once the account was suspended, about an hour after its initial hacking, users were unable to see any tweets and eventually Burger King regained control.

The fun did not stop with Burger King for the hackers, however, as a similar situation arose just yesterday, where car maker Jeep experienced identical Twitter mishaps. Their location was also adjusted to say "In a hood near you" and their twitter icon was changed to a logo for Cadillac, owned by Chrysler rival General Motors. The Jeep twitter also sent out 140 character (or less) messages that were unfriendly to the brand and full of random obscenities.

Main Twitter Header for the Hacked Jeep Account

This hacking spree is not coincidental, as earlier this month it was revealed that about 250,000 twitter accounts and passwords had been obtained by hackers. Twitter, however, would not comment on the situation for "privacy and security" issues, choosing not to discuss particular instances, but rather the bigger picture. Ironically, Burger King gained over 6,000 followers from Monday's issue and tweeted about it with a bit humor. McDonalds also cleared their name via Twitter, announcing that they had nothing to do with the hack, despite their imagery being used. This situation should be used to remind users to be careful of their online security, and to change passwords frequently.

Burger King article can be found here.

Jeep article can be found here.