Blackmailers target clients of Ashley Madison
Complaints to FTC claim online extortionists active in wake of site’s hacking
Victims of the Ashley Madison hack say they are being blackmailed months after millions of customers had their information leaked online.
Complaints filed with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission detail how customers continue to feel the aftermath of the July attack on the Toronto-based adultery website.
“A recent hack from the company exposed numerous amounts of private information from me. Now I am being harassed by others who are maliciously using the contents of that information,” wrote one person.
The hackers, who are still at large, leaked the information online, causing shock waves across the world as millions of alleged Ashley Madison customers had their dirty laundry aired.
Toronto Police are still investigating the cyber attack, which they previously linked to online hate crimes, online scams and two unconfirmed reports of suicide.
Complaints against the company obtained by the Star using the American Freedom of Information Act show that while the leak happened months ago, there are claims that online extortionists are still reaping the benefits.
Of the 28 complaints filed to the FTC, eight customers said they received threats of extortion or blackmail. Most extortionists demanded that payments be made in bitcoins, which are harder to trace. Fees ranged from two to 10 bitcoins, with one bitcoin worth about $450 today.
“Consumer received an email stating his info had been hacked on a dating website Ashley Madison. He is told if he does not pay, they will smear his name all over the internet. He is told he has to pay 10 bitcoins . . . or his info will go viral,” wrote the FTC agent who took the consumer’s complaint Sept. 28.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is conducting an investigation into the hack, to see if clients’ information was adequately protected.
A message, allegedly posted by the hackers, claims the attack was partly an act of retaliation against parentcompany Avid Life Media for its practice of charging customers for a “full delete” of their account. Hackers claim the information was not completely erased.
One complaint filed to the FTC alleges that an account they deleted was later found in the data dump.
The complaints have not been verified by the FTC.
The customer claimed they deleted their account in 2008, but found their information, including creditcard information, amongst the millions released in the hack.
Avid Life vehemently denies that they kept customer information.
“Contrary to current media reports, and based on accusations posted online by a cyber criminal, the ‘paid-delete’ option offered by AshleyMadison.com does, in fact, remove all information related to a member’s profile and communications activity,” the company said in a statement at the time of the hack.
Avid Life is offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, who go by the name of The Impact Team. With files from Sunny Freeman