blackmail
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Google will update its search algorithm to discourage slander extortion schemes
Google is changing its search algorithms to suppress sites used to extort money through slander.
Jon Fingas06.10.2021
Hacker sells access to hundreds of corporate executives' email accounts
A hacker is selling access to email accounts for hundreds of CEOs and other high-level executives.
Jon Fingas11.29.2020
Binance cryptocurrency exchange blackmailed over customer data 'hack'
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is being blackmailed by hackers that claim to have access to customer passport and identity documents. In a statement, Binance said that "an unidentified individual has threatened and harassed us, demanding 300 BTC in exchange for withholding 10,000 photos that bear similarity to Binance KYC data."
Rachel England08.07.2019
UK sentences porn site sextortionist to over six years in prison
A British court just imprisoned one of the most aggressive sextortionists in recent memory. Zain Qaiser has been sentenced to six years and five months behind bars after pleading guilty to a scheme that blackmailed porn site visitors in over 20 countries by spreading malware-laden ads. The campaign would impersonate regional police (such as the FBI) and claim that victims who clicked the ads had committed an offense requiring a fine between $300 and $1,000. Qaiser worked with a Russian crime group that reportedly pocketed most of the money, but he still made over £700,000 (about $914,000) -- and prosecutors believe he has even more money stashed in offshore accounts.
Jon Fingas04.09.2019
Hackers target bank account in 'tax haven' Lichtenstein
Tiny Lichtenstein is known for its adorable castles, alpine vistas and, until recently, being an unabashed tax haven for billionaires. However, some customers may regret stashing any funds in the principality because of a hack at the Valartis Bank, according to Bild am Sonntag (paywall). While the attackers didn't gain direct access to funds, they reportedly stole sensitive banking information. In letters obtained by the German site, they've threatened to release the data unless paid a staggering 10 percent of account balances in Bitcoin by December 7th.
Steve Dent11.29.2016
Symbian was once held ransom for several million euros, and Nokia paid it
Long before Nokia took up residence at Microsoft and became enamored with Windows Phone, the company had another mobile OS to care for: Symbian. For a while, it was the most widely used smartphone OS in the world, and according to a Finnish TV station, being its custodian was no easy task: In 2007 Nokia apparently paid several million euros to keep its encryption key private. MTV News (no, not that MTV) reports that criminals threatened to release the encryption key into the wild, potentially opening the OS to attacks and malware by unsavory programmers.
Sean Buckley06.17.2014
Frogster not giving in to hacker's demands
Free-to-play giant Frogster isn't playing along with Cpt.Z3r0, a hacker who resorted to blackmail and account theft to voice his views about the company's customer service and forum culture. Frogster, which publishes Runes of Magic, was stung by the release of over 2,000 RoM account names and passwords to its public forum last month, and has since been working to repair the damage done to its security systems as well as its reputation. "Our team has to focus and work on making the system more secure, on managing the whole incident. It means that they can't work on their regular goals and targets, like making events for the game, or improving it in other ways," company COO Dirk Weyel told GamesIndustry.biz. A police investigation into the hacking incident is ongoing, and Frogster is tight-lipped regarding any possible changes or improvements to its customer service apparatus, preferring instead to concentrate its PR firepower on the anonymous hacker. "Why is someone so angry? Why do they want to harm Frogster and the user base? Obviously, in any community you have people who complain. Some of them are reasonable, and some complain in a way that is unacceptable," Weyel said. He goes on to acknowledge that Frogster's community management isn't perfect, and that open and transparent communication are the ultimate goals.
Jef Reahard02.01.2011
Runes of Magic addresses account hacks
What do you do if a game company's actions get under your skin? If you're a hacker that goes by the name of Cpt.Z3r0, you breach the company's account security and post thousands of user names and passwords to its public forum. Runes of Magic publisher Frogster recently fell victim to said cyber-bullying, and though the offending information was quickly removed from the game's German website, the saga is far from over. The hacker(s) claim possession of 3.5 million accounts, and in an anonymous video message recently uploaded to YouTube, state that Frogster "better start respecting the people that pay your salary." While specific details of the demands are unclear, the video message hints at Frogster's reputation for censoring critical forum posts. Runes of Magic community manager Mike "Silberfuchs" Kiefer posted an official reply on the game's boards, stating in part that a criminal investigation is underway and that the 2,100 compromised accounts have been blocked from accessing the game, forum, and account management until the dust settles.
Jef Reahard01.15.2011