--- title: "Bitcoin.org, Which Taught Users Not to Get Scammed, Gets Hacked and Replaced With Scam" description: "Giveaway Scam Bitcoin scams are getting as brazen as ever. Bitcoin.org, the homepage of an open-source project dedicated to spread the word about Bitcoin, got hacked and led visitors to an apparent giveaway scam, CoinDesk reports. The website was originally owned and operated by Satoshi Nakamoto and Martti Malmi, Bitcoin’s first two developers, according to […]" date: "2021-09-23" modified: "2021-09-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/bitcoin-site-hacked-replaced-scam" categories: - "Bitcoin" - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" tags: - "bitcoin" - "online scam" - "scams" - "the digest" --- # Bitcoin.org, Which Taught Users Not to Get Scammed, Gets Hacked and Replaced With Scam ![Bitcoin.org, which is the first Google search result for "bitcoin," got hacked and led visitors to an apparent giveaway scam, CoinDesk reports.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Giveaway Scam Bitcoin scams are getting more brazen than ever. Bitcoin.org, which is the first Google search result for "bitcoin," got hacked and led visitors to an apparent giveaway scam, [*CoinDesk* reports](). The website was originally owned and operated by the pseudonymous bitcoin developers Satoshi Nakamoto, alongside others. Ironically, the website aims to "inform users to protect them from common mistakes," according to its [about page](). The website even has an [entire page]() dedicated to teaching users how to "avoid scams." ## Giving Back It's not even the first time Bitcoin.org has fallen victim to a hack. In July, the website was hit with a massive distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack, with hackers making a ransom demand for an undisclosed amount of Bitcoin, [*CoinTelegraph* reported]() at the time. This week, the website became a victim yet again. "Looks like Bitcoin.org got hacked and the entire site replaced with a scam asking for free Bitcoin," Bitcoin developer Matt Corallo wrote in [a tweet](). [Wednesday evening](), hackers got access to the site, adding a pop-up message which blocked the entirety of the homepage screen. "The Bitcoin Foundation is giving back to the community!" the scammers wrote in the pop-up. "We want to support our users who have helped us along the years \[sic\]." ## A Common Trend Giveaway scams have become extremely common, with hackers inviting users to send money to a specific Bitcoin wallet with the dubious promise to double their investment. A surprising number of people fall victim to the rather obvious con. Countless Elon Musk-themed crypto scams in particular have frequently surfaced. In one instance, the *BBC* reported in March of a man who [reportedly lost half a million dollars]() after falling for one of the schemes. According [to *Crypto Briefing*](), publicly available transaction data showed the hackers getting away with at least $17,000 after Thursday's takeover. Bitcoin.org went offline for some time after getting hacked, [according to *CoinTelegraph*](). At the time of writing, the website appears to be back to its usual self. **READ MORE:** [Bitcoin.org Website Inaccessible After Being Hacked by Apparent Giveaway Scam]() \[*CoinDesk*\] **More on Bitcoin:** *[Wall Street Glitch Showed Bitcoin Crashing to $5,400]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()