YouTube is a great place to connect with people who share your interests and passions. When someone wants to learn a new skill, they visit YouTube. Likewise, when someone wants to see video content about what they are interested in, they come to YouTube.
Millions and millions of people do that. Effectively, that made YouTube the second most-visited website in the world.
That means YouTube can provide you with a wide reach. Therefore, it is the ideal place for people who need to connect to their audience to be in. That would be brands, governments, and artists.
One of the most popular content types on YouTube is music videos. You can see that through the list of most-viewed videos on YouTube. There are only two types of content in the top ten. The video is either Kids’ content – typically containing songs – or music videos.
“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi is at number 2, “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran is at number 4, and “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa is at number 5. Before these came out, “Gangnam Style” by PSY – which helped grow the Korean wave – was number 1.
With all that said, it is not surprising to see that every well-known music artist has a YouTube account. Please remember that the more views a video gets, the higher the earnings. And, if you can say that the music video for your song became number one on YouTube, that guarantees a career boost.
Sadly, not all internet users are law-abiding citizens. Hackers exist, and their primary target is famous people. They had fun last April. Many A-list celebrities found out that their YouTube accounts had been hacked one Tuesday morning.
Justin Bieber, Eminem, and Ariana Grande’s YouTube Accounts are Hacked
Several A-list celebrities found their accounts hacked one April morning. Justin Bieber’s account, which has 68.8 million subscribers, is among the hacked accounts. Another one was Ariana Grande’s YouTube account, which has 51.2 million subscribers. American rapper Eminem also found himself in the same situation. His account has 51.8 million subscribers.
Aside from these three, here are more A-list celebrities whose accounts got hacked:
- Drake – 26.3 million subscribers
- Taylor Swift – 46.3 million subscribers
- Harry Styles – 12.4 million subscribers
- Kanye West – 8.25 million subscribers
- Travis Scott – 15.8 million subscribers
- The Weeknd – 28 million subscribers
- Lil Nas X – 18.2 million subscribers
- Michael Jackson – 25 million subscribers
Hacker Made Some Strange Posts
The hacker made strange posts on the said high-profile accounts. Yes, it seems there’s only one person behind all of these.
One of the videos the hacker uploaded was titled “Justin Bieber – Free Paco Sanz (ft. Will Smith, Chris Rock, Skinny flex & Los Pelaos).” The mentioned artists do not have anything to do with the video. The hacker only put them to capture attention. For instance, Will Smith and Chris Rock’s names are there because of the trending Oscar slap. Adding them in the title may make the video appear more frequently in search.
So, what is in the video? It shows Paco Sanz holding a guitar backward and singing in Spanish. Paco Sanz is a Spanish criminal. He scammed thousands of people by pretending he had a whopping 2,000 tumors. Paco Sanz was sentenced to two years in prison.
The video has been taken down already. But you may be able to find screen recordings of it on Twitter.
A video on former One Direction member Harry Styles’ channel left a hint that could lead to uncovering the hacker’s identity. The video was called “Daddy Yankee – SPEED IS THE BEST HACKED BY @LOSPELAOSBRO ON TWITTER.”
Similarly, a video on the late Michael Jackson’s channel directed people to @LOSPELAOSBRO.
And if you visit @losoelaosbro’s Twitter account, he admitted that he indeed hacked the accounts. “Bruh, I don’t even know which should I hack now (crying emoji),” he tweeted.
The user also posted various photos of what seems to be Paco Sanz.
Please note that the Latin pop group Los Pelaos is not connected to this hacker.
Business Insider described the account as a “sh–posting account.” That’s a term that refers to accounts made to make sarcastic, ironic, and provocative content to get reactions.
The fact that the Twitter account was just started that month confirms that. And why it already has 7,500 followers raises suspicions.
Unfortunately, the real identity of the Twitter user/hacker is not yet identified.
Why They Got Hacked
Vevo, the music video network, acknowledged the incident. It said an “unauthorized source” directly uploaded some videos on ‘a small number’ of Vevo’s artists’ channels.
The spokesperson said that Vevo has already deleted all those improperly uploaded videos. According to Business Insider, they remained on the platform for almost an hour before Vevo took them down.
Vevo says it will be conducting a review of its security systems.
Graham Cluley, a security blogger, says a possible reason why the high-profile accounts got hacked. He says the artists may be using the same third-party service to manage their social media activity.
Cluley told MailOnline that they get access to the clients’ accounts if someone can hack that third-party service. Therefore, @LOSPELAOSBRO was able to post the videos on Justin Bieber’s and other A-lister’s YouTube channels.
That’s just a theory, though. It is not yet confirmed.
Cluley also provided another possible reason. He says a YouTube employee with access to the YouTube accounts got breached. The hacker was then able to use privileged access to post the videos.
“I’m not aware of any specific YouTube vulnerability,” says Cluley. But he adds that one may exist.
Fans had mixed reactions to this incident. Some are in disbelief. “YouTube, what’s going on? All the top artists’ channels hacked?” a Twitter user asked.
Meanwhile, others joked about it. For example, a fan joked about the hacker not releasing a 1989 vault track on Taylor Swift’s channel.
Remember, if these people’s accounts can get hacked, yours can get hacked too. So ensure your YouTube – and other social media accounts – are secured.
How Do Famous Celebrities and Artists End Up Getting Hacked on YouTube Anyway?
Hacking someone’s YouTube account is a severe issue, and it’s essential to understand that it is illegal and unethical to attempt to gain unauthorized access to someone else’s account. That being said, it is crucial to be aware of the methods that hackers may use to protect yourself and your own account.
Here are some of the most popular methods that people use to hack someone’s YouTube account:
- Phishing scams: Hackers may send fake emails or texts that appear to be from YouTube or Google, requesting login information or asking the user to click on a malicious link. The hacker can access the account when the user enters their login information or clicks on the link.
- Brute force attacks: In a brute force attack, a hacker uses a program to automatically try different combinations of username and password until they can guess the correct combination and gain access to the account.
- Keyloggers: A keylogger is a type of malware that records every keystroke made on a computer. If a hacker can install a keylogger on someone’s computer, they can potentially capture the person’s login information for their YouTube account.
- Social engineering: Hackers may try to trick someone into giving them their login information through social engineering tactics, such as pretending to be a representative from YouTube or Google and requesting the information.
It’s essential to be aware of these tactics and to protect your YouTube account. This includes using strong and unique passwords, being cautious of suspicious emails or links, and keeping your computer and other devices updated with the latest security patches.
What Can You Even Do To Prevent Your YouTube Account From Getting Hacked If Celebrities Cant?
As a YouTube user, it’s critical to take steps to protect your account from being hacked. Here are some things you can do to prevent your YouTube account from being hacked:
- Use strong, unique passwords: It’s vital to use strong passwords that are difficult for hackers to guess. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, and consider using a password manager to help you generate and keep track of unique passwords.
- Enable two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your phone and your password. Enabling 2FA can help protect your account even if your password is compromised.
- Be cautious of suspicious emails or links: Hackers may try to trick you into giving them your login information through phishing scams, so it’s essential to be cautious of any suspicious emails or links you receive. Don’t click on links from unknown sources; verify the authenticity of any emails or texts before providing any personal information.
- Keep your computer and other devices secure: Ensure that your computer and other devices are up to date with the latest security patches and antivirus software. Avoid downloading software from unknown sources, and be sure to protect your devices with strong passwords or passcodes.
- Use a trusted VPN: If you use public Wi-Fi or connect to the internet from unfamiliar networks, consider using a trusted virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and protect your data from being intercepted by hackers.
Following these tips can help protect your YouTube account from being hacked and keep your personal information secure.