Development: This popular YouTuber's account got hacked: What happened and tips to safeguard your account

Times of India

Apr 08, 2026

Development: This popular YouTuber's account got hacked: What happened and tips to safeguard your account

Image Source : Asian Chronicle

Sharan Hegde, an entrepreneur and founder of The 1% Club who also runs a

channel named -- ‘financewithsharan’ has claimed that his YouTube account got hacked via his personal Instagram account.

In his Instagram post, he mentioned that his account got compromised and hackers started live streaming Bitcoin prices on his YouTube channel. Hegde claimed that the live stream on his YouTube channel showcased Bitcoin prices reaching $100K which translates to approximately Rs 69,448,00

Hegde mentioned that as a part of the negotiation, all the contents from the YouTube channel were washed away, however, it was recovered later on.

His post reads, “The hacker took control of the account & started a live stream of Bitcoin prices reaching $100k - without my consent, of course. Within minutes, I got 100s of DMs from you guys informing me about the fact. Thank you so much for alerting me but unfortunately the channel got terminated & I didn't know what to do. My 3 years of hard work just disappeared right in front of my eyes.”

YouTube has shared several tips on keeping YouTube accounts safe and secure on its official support page.

Create a strong password: This is the most basic step for keeping any account secure. A strong password with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols can go a long way in preventing it from getting hacked.

Also, it is advisable to avoid sharing personal account information with anyone, especially the login credentials.

Regular security checkup: Google offers a Security checkup feature with a Google account that allows users to scan their passwords and accounts for potential breaches and also take necessary actions.

2-step verification: Enabling 2-step verification adds a layer of security for any account, including Google.

Manage access requests properly: YouTube allows users to set access permissions for users to manage a YouTube account. So, assign the necessary permissions to users you trust.