Bitcoin Site Hacked With 'Double Your Money' Scam

Visitors to Bitcoin.org were unable to access the website after it fell victim to an apparent scam promising people they would be able to double their money.

As of Thursday morning, the website was inaccessible with visitors being met with an error message when they tried to gain access.

According to CoinDesk, a news website specializing in cryptocurrencies, a pop-up message appeared on the site earlier on Thursday that asked visitors to send money to a Bitcoin wallet.

The message said the funds would then be doubled and returned, claiming that the Bitcoin Foundation had set up the program as a way of "giving back to the community."

The news outlet added that the scam message said the offer was "limited" to the first 10,000 users who took it up.

It included a QR code for the wallet, and any attempt to use the other features of the website was blocked. Visitors were unable to move beyond the scam message.

According to CoinDesk, the scam's address received more than $17,700 in transactions, blockchain.com revealed.

While it isn't affiliated with the Bitcoin Foundation, Bitcoin.org is a project that aims to further develop the cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency users warned others on social media not to give money to the scam and alerted them to what had happened.

Bitcoin YouTuber Chris Dunn said on Twitter: "Spread the word...bitcoin.org has been hacked and is promoting a "double your #bitcoin" scam."

Fellow YouTuber Erich J. Garcia Cruz said on the social media platform: "Yep #Bitcoin.org page it's hacked.

"Yep, it's scamming. Yep, $17.5k stolen so far…"

Many other Bitcoin users on Twitter also shared news about the hack with followers, warning them about the scam.

Bitcoin is known for its fluctuating prices and despite its widespread usage across North America and Europe, it isn't legal tender in the U.S.

An exclusive Newsweek poll carried out by London-based polling firm Redfield and Wilton Strategies found that roughly a third of voters in swing states wanted cryptocurrency to be a legal form of payment.

With a range from 28 percent in Arizona to 37 percent in both Texas and Wisconsin, voters said they would vote "yes" to a ballot that asked whether to make cryptocurrency legal tender in the future.

The poll was carried out in California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

While there was some support for the creation of a national cryptocurrency pegged to the value of the U.S. dollar, most voters said they were opposed to the idea.