Recently we got a client who got this mail:
PLEASE FORWARD THiS EMAíL TO SOMEONE íN YOUR COMPANY WHO íS ALLOWED TO MAKE íMPORTANT DECiSiONS!
We have hacked your website https://mckenzieandzimmermann.
How did this happen?
Our team has found a vulnerabílity wíthín your site that we were able to exploit. After finding the vulnerabilíty we were able to get your database credentíals and extract your entire database and move the informatíon to an offshore server.
What does thís mean?
We will systematícally go through a seríes of steps of totally damaging your reputation. Fírst your database will be leaked or sold to the highest bídder which they will use wíth whatever their intentíons are. Next íf there are e-maíls found they will be e-maíled that theír information has been sold or leaked and your site https://mckenzieandzimmermann.
How do í stop thís?
We are willing to refraín from destroying your site’s reputation for a small fee. The current fee is $3000 ín bitcoins (BTC).
Please send the bítcoín to the followíng Bitcoin address (Make sure to copy and paste):
3EEQ4EmY2gxy1pV18L2yLJU2wRxMJG
Once you have paid we wíll automatically get ínformed that it was your payment. Please note that you have to make payment withín 5 days after receívíng thís e-mail or the database leak, e-maíls díspatched, and de-índex of your site WiLL start!
How do í get Bítcoins?
You can easíly buy bitcoins via several websites or even offline from a Bitcoin-ATM.
What if í don’t pay?
if you decíde not to pay, we wíll start the attack at the indicated date and uphold ít until you do, there’s no counter measure to thís, you will only end up wastíng more money tryíng to fínd a solution. We will completely destroy your reputatíon amongst google and your customers.
This is not a hoax, do not reply to this email, don’t try to reason or negotiate, we wíll not read any replies. Once you have paid we will stop what we were doíng and you will never hear from us again!
Please note that Bitcoin ís anonymous and no one will find out that you have complied.
Do Not Get Nervous!
This is a scam and a total bluff. It is a generic mail sent to thousands of emails and in this case, they didn’t hack anything. We knew already before checking the website because this is the Lazy Man’s scam. Just send a mail to 10.000 mail addresses and hope someone get scared enough to pay.
Furthermore they are extremely ignorant. Claiming that BitCoin is anonymous is hillarious! It took our IT expert David less than a minute to check the wallet number they want people to send money to (3EEQ4EmY2gxy1pV18L2yLJU2wRxMJG
They did not succeed in scaring people to pay!
They haven’t made a single micro BitCoin at all!
In order to send mails without being tracked they hacked a site VitaSport.nl from where they sent scam mails. The perp was also from the Netherlands.
As usual we contacted the local police and gave them personal info on the people behind this scam and they will pursue the case through InterPol.
Unfortunately this takes an insanely amount of time and we are not accustomed to long waiting time. So we paid this guy a visit ourselves!
Now, there is only one way to track him and that’s through his bitcoin wallet. These criminals usually don’t leave name and addresses in the hacked websites and the mails they send. Long ago it was possible to create a bit coin wallet without being validated. That time is long gone! So in this case it was a cakewalk!
Remember every single transaction with bitcoin involved leaves a new part in the end of the chain containing all available info on that specific transaction.
Sometimes it is an entire organisation of fraudsters working under the same roof, but this one was a loner.
Imagine a platoon of Navy Seals smashing your door, rushing in and suddenly you have four M15’s pointing at your head right before you are thrown to the floor and handcuffed…