New extortion scam threatens to damage sites’ reputation, leak data

Gandalf_The_Grey

Level 76
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Apr 24, 2016
6,506
An active extortion scam is targeting website owners and admins worldwide, claiming to have hacked their servers and demanding $2,500 not to leak data.

The attackers (self-dubbed Team Montesano) are sending emails with “Your website, databases and emails has been hacked” subjects.

The emails appear to be non-targeted, with ransom demand recipients from all verticals, including personal bloggers, government agencies, and large corporations.

The scam is so widespread that our own reporter Ax Sharma and Have I Been Breached created Troy Hunt have also received these extortion attempts.

The spam messages warn that the hackers will leak stolen data, damage their reputation, and get the site blacklisted for spam if the targets don’t make a payment of $2,500.
Even though these emails can be scary to those website owners who receive them, it is important to remember that they are just scams.

They are being mass-emailed to many people and are just trying to scare people into making a payment. Instead, just mark them as spam and delete them.
 

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top