FBI probing deceptive tweet claiming White House detonation
In a significant event that took place on April 23, 2013, the Associated Press (AP) Twitter account was hacked. The hackers, whose identities remain unverified, posted a false tweet claiming that there had been explosions at the White House and that President Obama was injured.
The tweet, which read "Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured", was sent to AP's near-one million followers and was retweeted over 1,000 times. This false information caused a brief but significant drop in the stock market, wiping out about $136 billion in market value within minutes before the markets recovered once the tweet was confirmed as a hoax.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 150 points as a result of the false tweet. In response, the AP suspended both the compromised Twitter account and its AP Mobile account after they were targeted by phishing attacks on its corporate network.
This specific event is widely documented as a major example of the impact social media hacks can have on financial markets. Although the current search results did not contain a direct reference to the exact date or content, this incident is well-known and often cited in cybersecurity and financial news.
Interestingly, no recent or different AP Twitter hack causing similar market drops was found in the search results from 2025, indicating the 2013 hack remains the notable standard case.
In recent months, several high-profile media organizations have fallen victim to hackers, including CBS news, whose @60Minutes and @48Hours Twitter accounts sent fake tweets on Monday. This series of hacks underscores the ongoing threat of cyber attacks and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the hacking incident, and a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army has claimed responsibility for the hacking of AP's Twitter account. However, this claim is yet to be verified.
The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, confirmed the president's safety in a press conference to the media. The BBC reported this incident, adding to the global coverage of this significant event.
In light of these events, it is clear that the intersection of cybersecurity and financial markets is a critical area of concern. As social media becomes an increasingly integral part of our lives, it is essential that we remain vigilant against the threat of cyber attacks and take steps to protect ourselves and our assets.
In the realm of general-news, this critical intersection of cybersecurity and financial markets was underscored by the hacking of the Associated Press (AP) Twitter account in 2013, a notable standard case that illustrated the potential impacts such hacks can have on the stock market. The hackers, whose identities remain unverified, posted a false tweet about explosions at the White House and President Obama's injury, causing a brief drop in the Dow Jones industrial average. Conversely, in 2025, no recent or different AP Twitter hack causing similar market drops was found, highlighting the enduring significance of the 2013 incident in the realm of crime-and-justice and the ongoing need for robust cybersecurity measures in media organizations.
