Watch Out! Snail Mail Is The New Weapon Of Ashley Madison Blackmailers
It has been several months now since the firm of Ashley Madison was hit by a massive data security breach, however, now there is a new type of threat that account holders are claiming to have become a target of this new targeted threat that they are facing? Snail mail. What is snail mail you ask? Don’t worry, Sydney Technology Solutions is here to tell you and also provide you with valuable information on what to do should you become a recipient of this new type of threat.
Referred to as snail mail, this new kind of threat is the paper form kind. Which in a nutshell, some account holders have received a blackmail letter in the mail, delivered straight to their home address with demands of payment to keep their Ashley Madison account a secret with an ultimatum that if the recipient doesn’t pay, their account will be exposed.
In a recent blog post by security consultant Graham Cluley, he goes on to reveal a note from a reader he received the following message, “I just received a physical postal letter to my house asking for $4167 USD or my account will be exposed by AM and shared to people close to me.”
Many of the Ashley Madison blackmailers are requesting payment in bitcoins because they are harder to trace. Demands of payment apparently range from two to 10 bitcoins – with one currently being valued at about $450.
Sydney Technology Solutions recommends that you should not pay the blackmailers and take the appropriate action to protect your valuable information. Contact us at (02) 8212 4722 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Why do we recommend that? Let us tell you. Our advice is not to give in to the blackmailers, and if you have received such a threatening letter through the post office, we recommend you take the appropriate needed action by doing the following:
- Do not pay the blackmailers – paying them money will be most likely to make them focus on you more.
- Share letter with authorities – to see what your options are and what can be done. Naturally request their discretion as well.
Don’t let the blackmailers take advantage of you and ensure you have the proper safeguards in place to protect your privacy and confidentiality. For more information on how to stay protected online, contact Sydney Technology Solutions at (02) 8212 4722 or via email at [email protected] to discuss our managed IT services.
