David Taylor, a business reporter for ABC, was hacked on the social media platform X in late July 2026. Despite not owning cryptocurrency or driving a Range Rover, his hacked account falsely reflected these details.

The breach began when a trusted contact, Sean Callow, a currency strategist at ITC Capital Markets, sent Taylor a direct message on X. Taylor found the request unusual but plausible given Callow's professional background. Upon clicking a link in the message, Taylor was prompted for excessive authentication and ceased the attempt.

Taylor later revealed that the direct message he engaged with came directly from an individual named Mr Wargent, whose occupation lent credibility to the message. Taylor noted the distinctive aspect of this hack was that neither he nor Callow were aware that X account direct messages could be infiltrated.

One of the most challenging aspects Taylor faced was the lack of accessible support from X, stating there was "no-one to talk to at Twitter [X]" during the incident. He was eventually provided contact details for a representative at X by a media member, which helped him regain control of his account.

Taylor emphasized that the hack did not involve typical phishing signs such as spelling mistakes or obviously fraudulent financial offers. He also suggested that a simple text message to Callow after receiving the suspicious direct message could have prevented the hack.

Sean Callow described the incident as a "wake-up" call, highlighting the ease with which such breaches can occur.

Sources