I have lost the twitter game

Ten days ago I got one of countless emails I get during the day.  It was "from" twitter.  I remember that it had Russian-type letters in the heading.

I did not click on the email.  I just remember seeing it.

I had twitter open (as usual) in another tab.

Later that day, I can't sign view twitter on my iPad.  It asks for password, I try, and try, and try.  I try password recovery, it does not recognize.  I try phone recovery, it does not recognize.

I search for "twitter brandtschneider" and I see this:

Uh-oh.

I theorize that a "bot" has taken my identity and changed phone and email on my account.  To date I have found no other spots they got me.  I go back to find that email and I can't find it.  It is gone.

I try to contact twitter.  After many iterations I get this:

Hi, Unfortunately, we’re unable to verify you as the account holder and cannot assist you in accessing the account. If you know which email address is associated with your account and you no longer have access to that email, please contact your email provider for assistance. More info here: https://support.twitter.com/articles/107907 For privacy reasons, I’m not able to provide any additional information about this account’s email address. Even if you mistyped your email address on signup, we require that you write to us from the exact address tied to the account. There are no security questions you can answer nor additional information you can provide as proof of ownership. While we understand it can be disappointing when you lose access to an account, these verification requirements are in place to protect accounts and private user data. If you'd like to create a new account, you can do so here: https://twitter.com/signup Thanks, choocharoo Twitter Support http://support.twitter.com @Support

I have repeatedly told them I have been hacked.

So....I start a new account.  @BrandtSchneider is now @SchneiderBrandt

I'm a bit frustrated.  Since my stroke I do not write nearly as well (notice the short paragraphs?) and have found I am more suited to twitter.  I have been on since 2006 and I do feel that I have lost a bit of my portfolio.  I admit a not insignificant amount of self-esteem was tied into the followers/network I had built up.

I know several of my twitter friends have lost accounts recently.  One prominent EdTech leader lost his famous instagram account (golf, "no pants", from Canada).  Not sure what else I could do to protect myself.  Nice reminder that it is not my account, it is twitters.