Norman Chad’s X (formerly Twitter) account has been hacked. Again.
What tipped me off? Chad had thrown a few compliments my way on X. That alone raised alarms – and the hair on the back of my neck. He’s rarely that nice to anyone, especially me.
Then came the next, even odder post: a full-blown gloat-fest about a brand-new Cadillac Escalade IQ, allegedly purchased with crypto profits.
That sealed it. I texted Chad to congratulate him on the new tricked-out whip — I enjoy poking the bear
“I’ve been hacked, you imbecile,” he lovingly replied.
Crypto no-no
Love him or hate him, being hacked is a nightmare no one deserves.
At great peril, I called him. And, as I suspected, Chad has no idea how to buy cryptocurrency, let alone profit from it.
“Crypto is one of four topics banned at my poker game,” Chad said. “Along with golf, air fryers, and Wall Street."
“That wasn’t my Cadillac. I’ve never had a Cadillac. My X account was hacked again, and this hacker decided to start things off by bragging about buying an Escalade with my crypto profits. Woo. Impressive.”
Before the hackers shut off the comment section, Chad's sudden taste in luxury cars sparked mixed reactions.
“Friends told me some of the comments were pretty funny. ‘That’s a sweet ride, Norman,’ or ‘You must’ve been lobotomized if you went into crypto and bought a Cadillac.’ Then the hackers turned off the comments.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t his first hacker rodeo.
“When you get hacked on X, it’s serious stuff,” said Chad. “It’s next to impossible to get your account back quickly or stop the hacker from doing whatever they want. And both times now, they’ve done bad things.”
In a previous hack, the damage went well beyond embarrassment – money was stolen during the well-executed scam.
“In 2021, they posted a fake Venmo link asking people to donate to an animal rescue charity I sponsored in Las Vegas. Three people I personally know sent money. I don’t know how many others did. It was a scam using my name."
“They’re now messaging my followers asking them to click a link to vote for me for some podcast hosting job. The link either sends a virus or redirects them somewhere else. That’s the feedback from friends so far.”
Who was responsible for the hack?
Getting his account back last time was a nightmare.
“It took five or six weeks," Chad explained. "I’m tied to X professionally, especially with poker and my Gambling Mad YouTube channel, so that’s a long time to be out of the game.
“First off, you go through X support, and you're told to put in my account name, email, and password. Then they email back saying they have no record of it. You explain you’ve been hacked. Then they tell you they can’t say who owns the account anymore because it’s no longer yours, and you’re welcome to start a new one if you want.”
The frustration in Chad’s voice deepened as he trudged on.
“You’re in a maze you’re never getting out of. It’s a brick wall. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”
When asked who he thinks is behind the hacks, Chad didn’t hesitate.
“My tech friends say we’re dealing with very smart people,” he said. “I suspect both attacks could be tied to a well-known sports brand that has a strong following – either directly, or through an overzealous fan. It feels like the kind of thing they’ve done before to critics. They've had a vendetta against me for years because I’ve been critical of them.”
Be forewarned
Chad wrapped up with a one-two punch: a stern warning, then a shrug of resignation.
“Protect your identity everywhere you can: email, social media, and bank accounts. It’s a nightmare when you don’t. What happened to me falls under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This stuff should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“I don’t know how long it’ll be before I get my X account back. I’m still doing my Gambling Mad with Norman Chad podcast on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. Hopefully people will come say hello over there. It’s mostly me lashing out against the entire world.”
As for the hacker(s), Chad has surrendered.
“You win – I can’t win against you," Chad said. "You’re big, powerful, and way more popular than I am.”
Tune into Norman's Gambling Mad podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.
