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Bitcoin Blackmail (self.ashleymadisonhack)

tileshout が 投稿

So I received an email with my correct name and home address, threatening to tell my wife if I didn't pay 2 Bitcoins in 96 hours. They had correct last 4 of credit card info. Weird thing was that the email they sent it to was not in the data dump. How likely does everyone think it is that they will send a letter to my house? I will not pay the blackmail.

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[–]IKNLBGGLGK 1ポイント2ポイント  (9子コメント)

Post the text of the email without any PII, I'd like to see it.

They aren't going to do shit. What are they going to do, start paying for postage? No.

Delete your burner account if you want, it doesn't make any difference. I wouldn't even be opening any of those emails though.

[–]tileshout[S] 1ポイント2ポイント  (8子コメント)

Here is the email, I deleted all PII to include the Bitcoin address they gave as well as the transaction id #s and anything else that seemed remotely PII. Dear xxxxx,

We have some bad news and some good news for you. First, the bad news. We have prepared a letter to be mailed to the following address:

The XXXXXXXX Family 1234 XXXXX Street Sometown, AB 12345

The letter details all of your activities on Ashley Madison, including your profile information, your login activity, and credit card transactions such as the following:

Date: 2015- Amount: $19.00 Card: Card Name:

Payable To: ADL Media Inc - TDS (Ashley Madison) Transaction ID:

Date: 2014- Amount: $79.00 Card: Card Name:

Payable To: ADL Media Inc - TDS (Ashley Madison) Transaction ID:

Now for the good news. You can easily stop this letter from being mailed, by sending 2 BTC to the following Bitcoin address within the next 96 hours:

As long as you make the payment in a timely fashion:

o The prepared letter above will be destroyed o You will never hear from us again o In the coming weeks, we are launching a publicly searchable website with all of the information leaked from the Ashely Madison website. If you make the payment of 2 BTC in the next 96 hours, all of your activities will be expunged from this website. All searches for your personal information will turn up blank. It will be as if you never had an account in the first place.

We appreciate your prompt cooperation. If you don't yet know how to send Bitcoin, now is a great time to learn. In the US, CoinBase.com is a good place to start.

FAQ

Q: Why should I trust you? A: We are a business. Like all businesses, our model only works if we deliver on our promises. Rest assured, we will deliver either way.

Q: How will you know I sent the money? A: The Bitcoin address above is owned by us, and associated specifically with your account. We will receive confirmation typically within 10 minutes of remittance, and your status will be automaticallly updated. You can read all about how this works on numerous websites about Bitcoin.

Q: I'm trying to setup my Bitcoin account but need more time. A: You can get a one-time 48 hour extension by replying to this email with the word "EXTENSION" in the message. If you do so, we will know you are working on the payment and your deadline will be automatically extended by 48 hours. (You can safely ignore any mailer errors.)

Remember, you have 96 hours!

// The Impact Team //

[–]allitnil2015 -1ポイント0ポイント  (5子コメント)

Be interesting to check if anyone has made any payments to that bitcoin address, if so you know it's complete bs since their letter said the address was just for you as their way to know if you paid. 99.9% it's an empty threat and everyone got the exact same bitcoin address.

[–]tileshout[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (4子コメント)

Good point. I have no idea how to check the address, and I'm afraid to click it. The letter is BS though because they are saying they will delete information from their database. Why would anyone believe that. Plus, the say they are going to publicize an easily searchable database which to my way of thinking would defeat the fear mechanism of blackmail.

[–]allitnil2015 0ポイント1ポイント  (3子コメント)

https://bitref.com or https://blockchain.info

[–]tileshout[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

I checked. Zero transactions, so likely they did in fact set up a unique account. What does that really mean though?

[–]allitnil2015 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Not much. You can create several addresses for one wallet, just takes a little more effort. Was hoping it would have transaction history to give you piece of mind.

[–]IKNLBGGLGK 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Doesn't mean they set up separate accounts. It means nobody's dumb enough to pay. Or dumb enough to not be able to figure out how to pay.

[–]toobadthishappened2 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

Tileshout: any idea how they may have gotten an email you did use for your account? Social media, public work email?

[–]BurnedHard 0ポイント1ポイント  (3子コメント)

So what's the consensus on keeping your burner email (to know who is coming after you) vs deleting it so that any attempted contact returns "account does not exist"

[–]allitnil2015 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I deleted mine but mostly because it was getting a lot of spam since the leak (big surprise). My SO knows, as we have an open relationship - swingers baby! So I'm not concerned about blackmailers telling her. More worried about family or friends finding out and making assumptions.

EDIT: But if one is stressing over being blackmailed, it's probably best to delete the account to help reduce your constant checking and worrying; especially since these bitcoin extortion emails are most likely empty threats.

[–]humpalong 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

I did not delete mine. I want to know what is being sent to these email addresses. I honestly don't think anyone sending out these emails is going to care if the emails bounce or not. If someone has your address and is hellbent on extorting you they will snail mail you... or find out your phone number and phone you. I really don't think it will come to that. These are just lowlifes out there who have easy access to this list and are just mass emailing hoping for some suckers (and lets face it all of us in this AM mess are potential suckers look how we let ourselves get scammed by AM!)

[–]give2shits 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Sorry dude. That pisses me off but not unexpected. If it was a burner email you used on AM then delete that shit now! It's just a target waiting to be hit. If they see their email bounce back to them, then your risk for future blackmail goes down. If it was your main email and not used on AM, that would mean they put some effort into cross referencing you with another source. That would suggest effort and motivation. You couldn't delete that without drawing attention to yourself from family or friends. Considering you have three days. I would go to the post office tomorrow and opt to have them hold mail or forward it to an address of a friend you trust for the time being. Who knows when they'll send it..or if. Anyone else able to help with this?

[–]r3verend -1ポイント0ポイント  (1子コメント)

"Hey Hunni! Jeff is going to get our mail for the next few weeks. ... Oh no reason"

Seems legit.

[–]give2shits 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Shit, dude. I have to qualify everything for you? How bout this....if you are the one that picks up the mail then hold the mail and pick it up daily for 1 week after deadline to screen. If not, don't worry about it because it's probably bullshit. Just have to cover your bases.....thought you at least would be able to extrapolate what I meant.

[–]Thad2345 0ポイント1ポイント  (5子コメント)

Well, should find some comfort that the note you pasted below is all over the internet. The exact same note. Whether you got it or not, who knows as you've got about 18 hours here on Reddit so not much of a record to judge if you're telling the truth or trolling. It's a blanket job, if it's even real.

[–]give2shits 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Surprised they included a faq. Thats classy. Letter is bullshit btw. Mind pm'ING me the return and bitcoin address? In the meantime reply back in Spanish and see what they send back.

[–]tileshout[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

Yeah I thought the FAQ showed "professionalism" which might mean they sent out a lot. More emails should mean less likely they will send a letter.

[–]give2shits 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Hang in there dude. Low probability they are going to send letter. Why would they? That would mean killing the goose. More likely is if you haven't closed down that email, expect more blackmail letter or spam. And expect them to be all bullshit. Delete that email if you can.

[–]tileshout[S] 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

Good to know it is a mass job. I guess that makes me feel a little "better". Still sick over it. My long term fear is that since they have my correct home address anyone could pretty easily figure out my phone number. My consolation is that I figure these guys are in it for the money. Sending the letter will not get them money, and in fact gives a little more (not much I know) for the authorities to trace them. I reported the email to the FBI, but with the scope of this thing I am not hopeful they will do anything.

[–]give2shits 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Don't count on LE to do anything. They're probably inundated with these. And they move slow. Better off hiring an IT focused PI if you want to go down that path.

[–]allitnil2015 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

That is odd that the email address they sent it to isn't the one in the database. That would mean they would've had to actually do some research to find it versus just sending out a mass email blast using solely the AM database info. Based on this I'd say it is possible they could actually send a letter, but still unlikely. If they had sent to to the AM email then I would say no way.

[–]Homerjsimpsondthird -2ポイント-1ポイント  (3子コメント)

Zero chance. They will send this email to a few hundred thousand addresses. Hope 1 percent pay and then move on. Sending snail mail from Nigeria to everyone who doesn't pay would cost them more than they make. Delete it and move on

[–]allitnil2015 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Why do you assume they are in Nigeria?

[–]Homerjsimpsondthird 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Because that's where a large proportion of internet scams originate. But I used Nigeria as a generic location meaning 'not from the u.s. My point is if they need to send out a letter for everyone who does not pay then it will cost them more than they get from those who do pay.

[–]r3verend -2ポイント-1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Because he's an idiot.

[–]BurnedHard -2ポイント-1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Like I would have any clue how to get Bitcoin then pay it someone in Nigeria

[–]r3verend -5ポイント-4ポイント  (12子コメント)

This is a threat with specifics that I wouldn't take lightly. It appears they have dug up some info on you. So anyone saying that they probably send these e-mails in mass is a dipshit. They may send a lot, but it still takes time to find specifics like this. Secondly, 2 BTC is a lot of money. It's about $480. With a payout that good, coupled with the fact that they addressed you specifically, then I don't see this as a hollow threat. They're likely not in Nigeria as one dipshit suggested. Slapping a stamp on an envelope and dropping it in a blue box is pretty anonymous. Good luck finding that.

I don't suggest you pay the bounty. I suggest you tell your wife and be expecting it. Or beat her to the mail for the next 2 weeks. This is a great example of why trying to ride it out is a stupid idea.

[–]IKNLBGGLGK 2ポイント3ポイント  (2子コメント)

Bullshit, it's trivial to write code to compose and send an email like that, it isn't any more complicated than any other email you get with your name in it.

One person pays, they have their entire cost covered.

Oh yes, they have a boiler room operation where they are watching the clock and printing hundreds of letters and envelopes every day and buying postage and dropping them into mailboxes in Kazakhstan.

Shouldn't you be in church?

[–]r3verend -4ポイント-3ポイント  (1子コメント)

Go ahead and bet your marriage on it.

[–]IKNLBGGLGK 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

I don't care if my marriage blows up. I'm inoculated from you.

Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man

[–]Homerjsimpsondthird 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Again ignore this advice. Someone who laughs at people who have suicided is not someone who has your interests in mind.

[–]Settingallall 0ポイント1ポイント  (7子コメント)

MySQL db and a simple program to script into emails would be very easy. It's no different than people running reports that pull all the info.

[–]r3verend -3ポイント-2ポイント  (6子コメント)

How'd they program it to find his address not used on AM?

[–]IKNLBGGLGK -1ポイント0ポイント  (5子コメント)

They didn't. He's either wrong about that, or making it up.

[–]r3verend -2ポイント-1ポイント  (4子コメント)

Dumbass.... The validity hinges on whether or not what he said was true. For the sake of this argument, we assume it's true as we have no reason to believe otherwise. If he is wrong and it was pulled from the database, then yeah, it was a mass sent e-mail. But the two clues that say it's not a mass email are: a brand new BTC address and an e-mail that had to be dug for.

[–]IKNLBGGLGK 0ポイント1ポイント  (3子コメント)

So your theory is that they have both the AM account email and the real email associated with his credit card, but went to the trouble of manually finding another one to send the blackmail email to?

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?

[–][削除されました]  (2子コメント)

[deleted]

    [–]Homerjsimpsondthird 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

    Wow. That pretty much blows a certain trolls theory out of the water :)

    [–]IKNLBGGLGK 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

    Yep, it's nice when the head comes clean off like that.