Iowa DOT account on social media platform X hacked by cryptocurrency scam

Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register
Updated ·1 min read

The Iowa Department of Transportation's account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was compromised this week.

The department is working with X to regain control of the account, according to a statement from the DOT on Tuesday morning. The account now features advertising for a cryptocurrency called Renzo.

"Social media users may notice a bit of a different spin on the Iowa Department of Transportation’s X account (@iowadot) this morning," said the statement from the Iowa DOT.

It's not recommended that users click any links being shared by the account.

The comprise occurred sometime Monday evening or Tuesday morning and didn't impact any other DOT systems, according to the statement. The Iowa DOT has more 45,000 followers and has used the account since 2008 for sharing public information.

"We have reached out to X to regain control. They are working to restore our account as quickly as possible," according to the statement from the Iowa DOT.

The Iowa DOT announced Tuesday their X account was compromised.
The Iowa DOT announced Tuesday their X account was compromised.

The cryptocurrency messages were gone from the account by 3 p.m. Tuesday, but DOT's content and branding had not yet returned.

Traffic issues are still available on the state's 511 account, @statewideia511.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa DOT's X account hacked by cryptocurrency scam