Insane hacker blackmailed Yandex
Date: May 28, 2004Source: Computer Crime Research Center
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Regional court of Volgodonsk, Russia considers a hacker case -- an employee of Volgodonsk nuclear power plant blackmailed Yandex, the biggest Internet portal of Russia, and two volleyball players. Law enforcement focused on the intruder when he delivered an ultimatum to Yandex management: "Give me money or I will tell everyone how to hack your e-mail accounts".
Two girls, volleyball players were the first who received e-mails with threats. He demanded one thousand of dollars or he would reveal intimate details of their private life observed in e-mails and it would be known to "yellow press" and Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Republic of Belarus.
Then a blackmailer switched to Yandex management. Mailboxes of these girls were placed at Yandex free e-mail service. They received an e-mail saying: "Good night gentlemen of Yandex, all your passwords are shit. I've hacked a hundred of mailboxes for one week". He claimed that he would tell every user about a good-for-nothing security system of private correspondence. He wanted three thousand of dollars from the company, but then he announced a discount and requested only three hundred.
The location of the ill-started blackmailer was established at once. Officers established that he used Internet services of Volgodonsk Telecom. It was not a big deal to find out phone number and address.
Officers of local and Moscow units fighting economical crimes detained the extortioner on his way back from a computer store. Right away after having got the Yandex money, he bought a new modem. Heretofore it is not found out how a nuclear station employee managed to log into other's mailboxes. Yandex denies facts of hacking. Portal management are sure that he knew passwords when he logged in, "because it is impossible to pick it up accidentally". Probably the girls "showed password up" in an Internet-cafe of Volgodonsk where they came to competitions.
Forensic examination established that a suspect is ill with mental disorder. He faces extortion charges.
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