The Humboldt Broncos' Twitter account showed a new avatar picture and self promotion from a hacker in the late afternoon on May 8 (@HumboldtBroncos/Screenshot).

By Aaron Schulze

Humboldt Broncos’ Twitter and Instagram accounts hacked

May 9, 2019 | 3:25 PM

Fans and followers of the Humboldt Broncos on some social media got an unusual surprise late in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 8.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) team had its Twitter and Instagram accounts hacked by an unknown person promoting their personal social media presence.

The hacker used the Humboldt Broncos’ Twitter platform to promote his Snapchat and other social media accounts (@HumboldtBroncos/Screenshot).

Twitter users voiced their displeasure in response to the hacker’s self promotion.

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Twitter used replied to the Humboldt Broncos’ hacker (@HumboldtBroncos/Screenshot).

The hacker explained their reasoning on the Broncos’ Instagram story.

(screenshot/Humboldt Broncos)

After 5 p.m. SCT, the SJHL tweeted the Broncos’ Twitter account was restored with help from Twitter support, although the hacker appeared to have gained access once more time past midnight on May 9.

After the Humboldt Broncos’ Twitter account was previously restored, the hacker found his way back (@HumboldtBroncos/Screenshot).

Finally, in the morning of May 9, the real Broncos social media staff were back on Twitter.

The Broncos lost approximately 300 Twitter followers after the hack.

David Williams, an associate professor of marketing at the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, told northeastNOW individual accounts get hacked all the time, but larger companies and businesses with a following tends to be corrected within a few days.

“It probably happens more than it’s reported,” Williams said. “It can be damaging short term, but normally when the authenticity and the truth comes out, things can be corrected. Normally if they are hacked, it can be a renegade employee or someone taking over. If the company and organization is totally innocent and free of blame, they go back to creating content and people forgive in short term.”

The Broncos lost approximately 300 Twitter followers after the hack. The team’s Instagram account was back under their social media team’s control in the late afternoon on May 9, but the hacker left a parting message: “Giving the account back to the owner’s. The account was hacked because the security was very very bad.”

The hacker’s parting message on Instagram. (screenshot/Humboldt Broncos)

The SJHL and the Humboldt Broncos want to thank the public who informed them of the hacks.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow