Hackers blackmailing sites

03-27-2005

Just watching about this on Fox....says they are demanding money from big adult sites too.......

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Online bookmakers are being targeted by hackers who threaten to shut down sites that refuse to pay them money.

"It's a traditional blackmail scam," a spokeswoman for Britain's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit said.

The hackers, who have been operating for almost two years from offshore locations such as Gibraltar and Antigua, have been targeting sites mainly used by U.S. gamblers betting on sporting events.

They usually contact online bookmakers by e-mail and demand payment. If denied, they attempt to paralyze a site by sending mass requests for information -- which slows down a site and makes it inaccessible to those wanting to place bets.

They recently targeted sites ahead of the U.S. football Super Bowl championship three weeks ago.

Now they are turning their attention to British-based bookmakers.

"It's a new development," the crime unit spokeswoman said, adding that an investigation is under way. However she declined to give details of the probe.

The most recent UK blackmail targets are sites taking bets on the Grand National, Britain's premier horseracing event, which takes place in April.

"The money they're asking for isn't the biggest in the world, about one hour's worth of business," the spokeswoman said.

The amounts demanded range from $34,000 to $50,000 (£18,280 to £26,880), she said.

According to the Financial Times newspaper, representatives from more than a dozen offshore gambling sites met in Gibraltar this month to discuss ways of defending themselves against the blackmailers.

An executive at one UK-based online bookmaker told the FT: "We have put measures in place with our ISPs (Internet service providers) to strengthen our defenses."

The newspaper quoted a representative of Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, as saying its site had been shut down for hours earlier this month. It did not pay the money demanded and contacted police.

The blackmailers are not expected to go away any time soon.

"Any major sporting event that comes along they'll be looking to target," the crime unit spokeswoman said.

Dravyk · 03-28-2005

Quote:

"The money they're asking for isn't the biggest in the world, about one hour's worth of business," the spokeswoman said.

The amounts demanded range from $34,000 to $50,000 (£18,280 to £26,880), she said.

I'll take an hour's worth of that business!! Damn!!

Nick, how come you never got into online gambling?

Trev · 03-28-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Dravyk@Mar 28 2005, 08:33 PM

Quote:

"The money they're asking for isn't the biggest in the world, about one hour's worth of business," the spokeswoman said.

The amounts demanded range from $34,000 to $50,000 (£18,280 to £26,880), she said.

I'll take an hour's worth of that business!! Damn!!

Nick, how come you never got into online gambling?

Because he's got Technick DOS attacking Ladbrooks.com

TheEnforcer · 03-28-2005

Man that would suck. Those people can cost a business a ton of money with their attacks.

<_<

Nickatilynx · 03-28-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Dravyk@Mar 28 2005, 11:33 AM

Quote:

"The money they're asking for isn't the biggest in the world, about one hour's worth of business," the spokeswoman said.

The amounts demanded range from $34,000 to $50,000 (£18,280 to £26,880), she said.

I'll take an hour's worth of that business!! Damn!!

Nick, how come you never got into online gambling?

Lets see why didn't I get into online Gaming....

One word , "Starnet"? ;-)))

Btw it seems they are expanding these tactics to Adult and other sites , it was bound to happen sooner or later...

I would veil it a little different..

"""Host with us , $20,000 per month , we guarantee 98% up time. It would be a terrible thing if , say , you were hosted elsewhere and your servers kept meeting with...unpleasentness. "

;-)))

Dravyk · 03-28-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Nickatilynx@Mar 28 2005, 02:43 PM
"""Host with us , $20,000 per month , we guarantee 98% up time. It would be a terrible thing if , say , you were hosted elsewhere and your servers kept meeting with...unpleasentness. "

;-)))

Ah, you've added the recurring model. Good on ya!

TheEnforcer · 03-28-2005

Is running a casino site illegal in Canada Nick?

Nickatilynx · 03-28-2005

Quote:

Originally posted by TheEnforcer@Mar 28 2005, 11:53 AM
Is running a casino site illegal in Canada Nick?

Well in a nutshell...

You can liscence yourself in Antigua , etc etc.

Have mind and management there , and its all khustee in Canada...but still iffy.

It is in the main a US thing.

Starnet was at that time a publicly traded corp on the nutsack.

The shares were flying...

It was a very fucked up scenario..

They kicked down the door held the receptionist at gunpoint...over 100 cops piled in. Someone knew in NY in advance it was gonna happen and shorted the stock , I heard.

All over...can you believe TWO payouts of winnings to people. One in Canada , one in US as a sting Op? Everyone booked it to the Islands.

fined in the end a few million and the ex-CEO , who I have dined with a few times and is a good guy and smart as hell is Mark Dohlen got a slap on the wrist and one of my very best friends founded the corp and sizzle.com etc etc.

Intreresting thing.... hosting a poker room is actually legal here...as you are not an oddsmaker ..so a lawyer has told me..but even then its iffy..

Basically the whole fucking thing is pretty nebulous , and I have no wish to be a test case..

But frankly the cops were twats about it. Holding a receptionsist at gunpoint..I mean...come on...

I told them there mistake was paying out winnings!!! ;-)))))

Toni · 03-28-2005

hay ho technick... Long time no speak

TheEnforcer · 03-28-2005

I'd love to own a casino site but I wouldn't touch it with a 1000' pole living in the states. I'd feel safer on the sex side of things than I would a casino here in the states in regards to worrying about prosection.

03-28-2005	#9
Toni Members Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North East England Posts: 176	hay ho technick... Long time no speak __________________ I want to be just like Barbie - That bitch has everything!

03-27-2005	#1
imported_Technick Guest Posts: n/a	Just watching about this on Fox....says they are demanding money from big adult sites too....... LONDON, England (CNN) -- Online bookmakers are being targeted by hackers who threaten to shut down sites that refuse to pay them money. "It's a traditional blackmail scam," a spokeswoman for Britain's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit said. The hackers, who have been operating for almost two years from offshore locations such as Gibraltar and Antigua, have been targeting sites mainly used by U.S. gamblers betting on sporting events. They usually contact online bookmakers by e-mail and demand payment. If denied, they attempt to paralyze a site by sending mass requests for information -- which slows down a site and makes it inaccessible to those wanting to place bets. They recently targeted sites ahead of the U.S. football Super Bowl championship three weeks ago. Now they are turning their attention to British-based bookmakers. "It's a new development," the crime unit spokeswoman said, adding that an investigation is under way. However she declined to give details of the probe. The most recent UK blackmail targets are sites taking bets on the Grand National, Britain's premier horseracing event, which takes place in April. "The money they're asking for isn't the biggest in the world, about one hour's worth of business," the spokeswoman said. The amounts demanded range from $34,000 to $50,000 (£18,280 to £26,880), she said. According to the Financial Times newspaper, representatives from more than a dozen offshore gambling sites met in Gibraltar this month to discuss ways of defending themselves against the blackmailers. An executive at one UK-based online bookmaker told the FT: "We have put measures in place with our ISPs (Internet service providers) to strengthen our defenses." The newspaper quoted a representative of Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, as saying its site had been shut down for hours earlier this month. It did not pay the money demanded and contacted police. The blackmailers are not expected to go away any time soon. "Any major sporting event that comes along they'll be looking to target," the crime unit spokeswoman said.

03-28-2005	#4
TheEnforcer Scored VIP to Anton's Piss Tank Want to see your own Advertising Here! Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 8,781	Man that would suck. Those people can cost a business a ton of money with their attacks. <_<