Ashley Madison Users Details Become Prey to Blackmailers
Since the news that the adultery website Ashley Madison was hacked broke, many individuals became scared of having their private information released online. Now, recent reports are saying that these hacked users are becoming the target of online blackmailers.
According to Newstalk ZB, New Zealand's top online cybersecurity firm, NetSafe, is getting a lot of complaints daily from Ashley Madison users that are saying they are being blackmailed for money. This is months after the website was hacked, and their information was revealed to hackers.
The website added that the hackers had the chance in the past few months to determine who to target in their evil scheme. The report said that the victims are being asked for Bitcoin currency, which amounts to around $600 to $5000, depending on how much they want to keep their secret a "secret."
According to Martin Cocker, NetSafe's executive director, the hacker's MO is generally the same. They send emails to their victims, saying, "that they've been traced, that there is data on Ashley Madison leaked that relates to them, and if they pay that won't be released publicly." Cocker advised the public NOT to pay these hackers, since it will be too late "to stop the information being made public." "There's absolutely no guarantee that paying will decrease the possibility of the information being made public," he added. Cocker said that paying the hacker will most likely make them ask for more money.
The same case is happening to Ashley Madison users in Spain, according to International Business Times. The website said that The Guardia Civil, Spain's national police force, is also receiving vast numbers of reports from individuals that have fallen prey to the Ashley Madison hackers. The report added that the money that are being extorted from these victims ranges from €500 to €2,000.
The hackers, who are known as the "Impact Team," have gathered personal and financial information of the 32 million Ashley Madison subscribers last July.
