Riley Reid's Phone, Twitter Hacked in SIM Swap Attack

Adult performer Riley Reid's phone and Twitter account were compromised by hackers, leading to the publication of antisemitic, homophobic, and transphobic content on her social media. The incident, which began on Tuesday evening, April 4, 2023, involved a SIM swap that granted the hackers access to her phone number and associated accounts.

Account Compromise and Content

Malicious hackers took control of Riley Reid’s phone number on Tuesday evening, April 4, 2023, according to reports from XBIZ and LA Direct Models. This compromise allowed them to access her Twitter account, where they subsequently posted antisemitic and homophobic content. The content remained visible on her account for hours after the initial hack.

Reid informed XBIZ that "basically someone hacked into my phone provider and was able to get the number switched to their provider and device, so they are getting all my calls and texts as well as two-factor authentication." This method, described by VICE as a SIM swap, involves tricking or bribing wireless provider employees to transfer a target's phone number to another device. This allows the hackers to receive two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS, which can then be used to access other accounts.

The hackers also posted transphobic messages to Reid's Twitter page, according to AVN. VICE reported that the Twitter account, which has 2.3 million followers, has been consistently posting "extremely racist, antisemitic, anti-sex work, and transphobic posts since April 4." Some of these tweets reportedly called for the deaths of "pornographers," included swastikas, spread Nazi propaganda, and were anti "race mixing."

Reid expressed her distress over the situation, stating to XBIZ that the Twitter hack was "the biggest disaster of them all." She described her Twitter as her "pride and joy," an account she had "worked so hard at building." She added that for someone to "hack into it and ruin it with hateful, disgusting tweets is horrible." Reid also told AVN that Twitter was "the only social media outlet I have been able to retain and grow for the last 10 years. It was the one place I always felt safe and now it's just taken away by some hacker."

Impact on Personal and Financial Accounts

The compromise of Reid's phone number extended beyond her Twitter account, affecting several other personal and financial platforms. Reid stated that the bad actors "have been able to hack into my eBay, Venmo, Amazon and more, plus now Twitter."

Speaking from her bank on Wednesday morning, April 5, 2023, Reid told AVN that "somehow someone was able to do a sim swapping on my phone." She explained that the hackers "hacked into my account and were able to get my number switched to their provider and device. So they are getting all my texts, calls as well as two-factor authorization codes." Reid assumed the hackers "must have some sort of program to see what accounts are associated with that number because they started hacking into my Spectrum, Microsoft Office, Venmo, Amazon, eBay and more, plus my social media account Twitter."

Reid urged individuals who possess her phone number to refrain from texting or calling it. She cautioned that "otherwise this person will now have your number and you’re at risk of going through what I’m going through." She further stressed to AVN, "I encourage anyone who has my number to delete that number. If you call or text it then they will now have your number and it will be compromised. This person is scary and I'm taking as many precautions as possible." Reid also mentioned, "I'm at the bank now closing all my accounts."

Industry Context and Twitter's Role

The incident highlights vulnerabilities associated with SMS-based two-factor authentication. VICE noted that Twitter announced in February that it would no longer permit users to utilize SMS two-factor authentication unless they subscribed to Twitter Blue. Users can still employ apps for two-factor authentication without charge, a method generally considered safer as it is not susceptible to SIM swapping.

The posts on Reid's Twitter account were described by VICE as "particularly cruel" because they used "one of the most visible people in the history of the adult entertainment industry to explicitly recruit followers to a growing and dangerous anti-sex work reactionary movement."

Reid expressed her embarrassment and sorrow to anyone affected by the situation. She stated, "I hope that this person will have mercy and stop what they are doing. I hope they can have self-perspective and realize they are causing harm in so many ways and simply stop."

Key Facts

• Riley Reid's phone and Twitter account were compromised by hackers starting Tuesday evening, April 4, 2023.
• The hackers gained control of her phone number through a SIM swap, redirecting calls, texts, and two-factor authentication codes.
• Antisemitic, homophobic, and transphobic content was posted to Reid's Twitter account, which has 2.3 million followers.
• Other accounts compromised include eBay, Venmo, Amazon, Spectrum, and Microsoft Office.
• Reid advised individuals with her number to delete it and avoid contact to prevent their own numbers from being compromised.
• Reid was in the process of closing her bank accounts following the hack.