SEC Hacker Searched “Am I Being Investigated by the FBI” Amid SIM Swap Scheme

In Brief:

Eric Council Jr. profited $50,000 from SIM swap attacks, including the SEC X account hack tied to false Bitcoin ETF news.

Evidence shows he googled if he was under FBI investigation and tried deleting traces on Telegram.

New details have emerged in the case of Eric Council Jr., a key figure behind the January 2024 hack of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s X (formerly Twitter) account. According to documents presented by prosecutors on May 12, Council made $50,000 through SIM swapping services offered under the Telegram alias “easymunny” between January and June 2024.

Council used forged identity documents to deceive AT&T employees into transferring victims’ phone numbers to SIM cards under his control. One high-profile attack enabled the hijacking of the SEC’s official X account, which was then used to falsely announce the approval of a Bitcoin ETF on January 9—causing temporary market chaos.

Investigators discovered that Council had searched Google for terms like “how to confirm if being investigated by the FBI” and “time required to delete Telegram account.” Despite setting Telegram chats to auto-delete every two weeks, conversations about SIM hijacking with foreign collaborators were recovered. He was also caught conducting another SIM swap at an Apple Store on June 18, 2024.

Council pleaded guilty in February 2025. Prosecutors are recommending a two-year prison sentence, with the final decision expected on May 16.

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