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How Crypto hackers took over channel of top African YouTuber with 1.2m followers

He is reputed as one of the continent’s biggest YouTubers sharing cross-continental content aimed at putting out a positive aspect of Africa and Africans within the continent.

Then the hackers struck.

His page first went blank and the name changed from “Wode Maya” to “Microstrategy.”

Before long, it was confirmed with the unusual activity on the channel that it had actually been hacked.

The new owners started multiple live streaming with the aim of soliciting for funds in a crypto currency scheme. At GhanaWeb’s last check, there were five such streams running concurrently.

Meanwhile, all of Wode Maya’s videos had gone off the page even though the page information remained intact – page created in 2013 with over 193 million views.

A robust social media campaign started almost immediately with people especially on Twitter tagging YouTube and YouTube Support to help Wode Maya to reclaim his account.

After some hours, it turned out that the channel had been taken down entirely. All previous links when clicked return a message: “Video Unavailable. This video is private.”

Also, the page when searched on YouTube also returns zero result.

The vlogger, real name Berthold Winkler, has yet to publicly comment on the development.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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